• Today's Word

Meritorious

mehr-ih-TOR-ee-us

Definition

(adjective) Deserving of praise, recognition, or reward.

Example

Her years of meritorious service were recognized with a public award.

Meritorious is often seen in formal settings like military commendations, academic scholarships, and public service awards. But it also shows up in HR evaluations, theater reviews, and grant proposals—anywhere someone has done work that isn’t just good, but exceptionally worthy of notice.