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📋 A penalty mark ⚠️ A disadvantage
demerit

demerit

3 6.6
A fault or disadvantage that makes something less good
  • noun
  • /ˈdɛmərɪt/
: demérito
  • One major demerit of the old system was its inability to adjust to new technologies.
  • merits and demerits
  • demerit point
  • 100-point demerit

Remember, though, that to reflect is not to rush to determine the rights and wrongs and merits and demerits of what and whom you are observing.

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Examples

  • The second demerit is disruption of balanced investment among power generation and transmission and distribution.

  • Another demerit against most wireless mice is weight.

  • Now, the lack of chocolate chips in these would probably be a demerit for most.

  • The state of Indiana used the traditional inspection system with a 100-point demerit system until 2000.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Relatively speaking, however, teachers do need to keep in mind the merits of using reward and the demerits of using punishment.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Apart from the merits and demerits of each source of finance, sector affiliation seems to be a key variable in deciding the capital structure.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Whatever its merits or demerits as an alternative energy source, public attitudes about nuclear power continue to constrain its political feasibility.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Under the previous or "traditional" inspection system (which used a 100-point demerit scale), receiving less than 75 points was considered a failing score for a restaurant.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Both CT and MRI have their merits and demerits based on stages of disease and lesion visualization.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The absence of a detailed explanation was seen as a significant demerit in the report.

Synonyms

fault
vsdemerit
∞ 1.8

A mistake or personal weakness that causes people to blame someone

denotes the general state of being inadequate, not personal blame
defect
vsdemerit
150 3.4

A fault that makes something less useful or valuable

is a general quality of falling short rather than one specific flaw
disadvantage
vsdemerit
108 2.9

A condition that makes it harder to succeed or compete

focuses on the overall quality of inadequacy rather than situational position
detriment
vsdemerit
39 6.3

Harm that makes someone or something worse

describes a quality of inadequacy rather than the resulting harm

Antonyms

advantage
∞ 2.8

Something that helps a person do better than others

merit
258 3.5

A quality that shows someone deserves praise or a reward

How Faulty

defect
150 3.4
demerit
3 6.6
shortcoming
69 3.7
flaw
73 1.9
weakness
133 1.4

Surface Forms

demerit singular
demerits plural

Morphology

demerit = merit (semi-transparent) = de + merit

The relation to 'merit' as something positive is recognizable, but 'de-' is not a highly productive everyday negating prefix for learners, so the exact opposite sense is only partly predictable.

Etymology

Demerit combines de- ('away') and merit ('deserve' or 'good quality'). So a demerit is a loss of good points, a fault or disadvantage.