DEMERIT

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French ~e, from Medieval Latin ~um, from neuter of ~us, past participle of demerēre to be undeserving of, from Latin, to earn, from de- + merēre to merit Date: 15th century offense , 2. a quality that deserves blame or lacks merit ; fault , defect , lack of merit, a mark usually entailing a loss of privilege given to an offender