merit

Merit can refer to a good or commendable quality, or someone or something’s worth or value.

To say that someone earned something based on merit often means that they earned it based on excellence or performance.

Relatedly, the word meritocracy is used to refer to a system (such as a workplace) in which people are thought to be rewarded or advanced based on merit, meaning their talent, ability, or accomplishments—as opposed to aspects of their identity, such as their class.

A legal case judged on its merits is one judged on the facts and arguments alone, as opposed to one’s personal feelings, such as about the people involved.

Merit can also be used as a verb meaning to deserve or be worthy of something, as in I think this merits a celebration! The word warrant has a similar meaning, but it’s more broadly used (merit is most commonly used in positive contexts).