- [usually plural]
a fault in something or a disadvantage of something 过失；缺点；短处 the merits and demerits of the scheme 这个方案的优缺点
- (North American English)
a mark on somebody’s school record showing that they have done something wrong （学校给学生记的）过失分
Word Originlate Middle English (also in the sense ‘merit’): from Old French desmerite or Latin demeritum ‘something deserved’, neuter past participle of demereri, from de- ‘thoroughly’ (also understood in medieval Latin as denoting reversal) + mereri ‘to merit’.