Merit vs Ability - What's the difference?
merit | ability | Synonyms |
Something deserving positive recognition.
Something worthy of a high rating.
A claim to commendation or reward.
The quality of deserving reward.
* Shakespeare
* Alexander Pope
Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation.
* Prior
(obsolete) The quality or state of deserving either good or bad; desert.
* Shakespeare
To earn or to deserve.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5
, passage=Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited .}}
To be worthy or deserving.
(obsolete, rare) To reward.
(obsolete) Suitableness.
(uncountable) The quality or state of being able; capacity to do; capacity of doing something; having the necessary power.
*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
, volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly)
, title=[http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/jul/01/education-michael-gove-finland-gcse Finland spreads word on schools]
, passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.}}
The legal wherewithal to act.
*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
, title=[http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21579860-g8-pledges-tackle-three-ts-t-time T time]
, passage=The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.}}
(archaic) Financial ability.
(uncountable) A unique power of the mind; a faculty.
* (rfdate) (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
(countable) A skill or competence in doing; mental power; talent; aptitude.
* (rfdate) (King James Bible) , (w) 11:29
* (rfdate) (1800-1859)
* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=November 10, author=Jeremy Wilson, work=Telegraph
, title=[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/8882713/England-Under-21-5-Iceland-Under-21-0-match-report.html England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report]
, passage=The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott.}}
In obsolete terms the difference between merit and ability
is that merit is the quality or state of deserving either good or bad; desert while ability is suitableness.As nouns the difference between merit and ability
is that merit is something deserving positive recognition while ability is suitableness.As a verb merit
is to earn or to deserve.merit
English
Noun
(en noun)- His reward for his merit was a check for $50.
- Reputation is oft got without merit , and lost without deserving.
- To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known, / And every author's merit , but his own.
- His teacher gave him ten merits .
- those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth
- Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought / For things that others do; and when we fall, / We answer others' merits in our name.
Synonyms
* (l) * (l)Antonyms
* (l)Verb
(en verb)- (Chapman)
Derived terms
* (l) * (l) * (l) * (l)External links
* * *Anagrams
* ----ability
English
Alternative forms
* (obsolete) habilityNoun
- Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study -
- Then the disciples, every man according to his ability , determined to send relief unto the brethren.
- The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability