nonmeritorious

7.8

Not based on good reasons or evidence and not worth attention

adjective
/nɒnˌmɛrɪˈtɔːriəs/

Formal

: no meritorio

The committee decided to reject the nonmeritorious proposals that did not meet the necessary standards.

Examples

When the study's entire time frame is considered, the number of nonmeritorious claims brought by patients receiving public assistance was significantly higher (F(2, 21) = 35.1, p < .001) than the number brought by the other groups.

Academic text (1998)
"The intention was to move nonmeritorious, marginal cases out of the system, and from everything we can tell, it has had that effect," says Hugh Rice Kelly of Houston, a co-founder of Texans for Lawsuit Reform.

Academic text (2006)
She felt that his arguments were nonmeritorious and lacked any basis for further consideration.
His nonmeritorious feedback on the project was dismissed by the team as unfounded.

Synonyms

unmerited

vsnonmeritorious

1 7.6

Not deserved because there is no good reason

focuses on lacking merit or worth rather than only being undeserved

meritless

vsnonmeritorious

1 7.0

Having no value and not deserving praise

includes lack of a valid basis or justification beyond mere low value

unmeritorious

vsnonmeritorious

1 9.3

Does not deserve praise or reward

is the same in meaning but appears as a different word form

Antonyms

meritorious

8 7.5

Worthy of praise or reward for good work

How Meritorious

exemplary

48 5.8

worthy

461 2.8

mediocre

94 4.8

nonmeritorious

Formal

7.8

Surface Forms

nonmeritorious positive

Morphology

nonmeritorious = meritorious (transparent) = non + merit + orious

The word is formed by adding the negative prefix 'non-' to 'meritorious', so the meaning is directly compositional.

Etymology

The word nonmeritorious starts with non- meaning 'not' and the rest comes from merit meaning 'deserving' or 'worth'. So, nonmeritorious simply means 'not deserving', something that lacks real value or a good reason for praise or reward.