|merə|tōrēəs, -tȯr- adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin meritorius, from Latin, that brings in money, from meritus (past participle of merēre to earn) + -orius -ory — more at merit
1. : serving to win divine favor, blessing, or reward
it is meritorious to believe what cannot be demonstrated — Frank Thilly
2. : worthy of reward, gratitude, honor, or esteem
made up for his lack of talent by meritorious industry — W.M.Thackeray
3. obsolete : deserving — used with of
• mer·i·to·ri·ous·ly adverb
• mer·i·to·ri·ous·ness noun -es