There are three basic definitions of the word "merit." The first definition describes merit as an admirable quality that a person or thing possesses. Another meaning of the word is a spiritual benefit for certain actions. For example, a person may do good deeds on Earth and receive merits for the afterlife. In this way, a merit is basically a credit for good or moral behavior. The third meaning of the word is a component of a legal case, which represents the heart of the matter being discussed.
The most loose usage of the term "merit" refers to a person's praiseworthy quality. For example, a person could be said to have a lot of academic merit as a result of making all As during one semester. Merit is used here to describe a virtue and positive quality of a person. Merit can also be used in a negative way, such as claiming that a lying criminal has no personal merit.
Merits can also refer to credit for good behavior, and it is important to note that this definition overlaps a lot with the previous one. In Hinduism, for example, a person can receive credit for good behavior. Hindus, who believe in reincarnation, claim that a person's reincarnation depends on her worldly merits during her previous life. These merits act as a spiritual credit that ensures a person is rewarded for proper action. Karma utilizes the concept of merit as well; a person who behaves will have merit and be rewarded with good consequences in the future. Other uses of merit as credit may be found in the case of Boy Scouts, who receive physical badges that may be called merit badges.
Merit may also be used in legal proceedings to refer to the quality of a person's argument. A judge may determine, after hearing a case, that a defendant's claim has no merit. This means that the basis of the person's claim is unfounded or lacks cohesiveness. Merit, in this context, may be used in different ways, and it is generally a subjective term that refers to the significance or justification of a person's argument.