Noun: demerit dee'mehr-ut or di'me-rit [N. Amer], dee'me-rit or di'me-rit [Brit]
- A mark against a person for misconduct or failure; usually given in school or armed forces
"ten demerits and he loses his privileges"
- The quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection
"they discussed the merits and demerits of her novel";
- fault
Derived forms: demerits
Type of: brand, mark, merit, stain, stigma, value, worth
Antonym: merit
Encyclopedia: Demerit