Value vs. Merit — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 26, 2023
Value refers to the significance or worth of something, while Merit denotes its inherent quality, worthiness, or commendability.
Difference Between Value and Merit
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Value refers to the significance, worth, or importance attached to something, often based on its utility, function, or emotional connection. Merit, on the other hand, pertains to the inherent quality or excellence of something, often determined by its capability or accomplishments.
An object or concept's Value is subjective, varying from person to person based on personal beliefs, needs, or cultural norms. Merit tends to be more objective, grounded in measurable or observable qualities and performance.
While Value can be attached to both tangible and intangible items, ranging from physical goods to emotions and beliefs, Merit often focuses on skills, achievements, and attributes that warrant recognition or reward.
Value encompasses a broader spectrum of worth, including monetary, sentimental, and intrinsic types. Merit, conversely, primarily refers to the commendable nature or value of an action, achievement, or characteristic.
In decision-making, a person might consider the Value of various options based on personal priorities. Merit is used in contexts like evaluations, where the focus is on recognizing and rewarding quality and excellence.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The importance, worth, or significance of something.
The quality of being commendable, good, or deserving.
Subjectivity
Highly subjective, varies by individual or culture.
More objective, based on observable qualities.
Application
Applied to both tangible and intangible items.
Often linked to skills, achievements, or attributes.
Types
Monetary, sentimental, intrinsic, etc.
Based on excellence, capability, or accomplishments.
Context
Used in assessing importance or worth.
Used in evaluations and recognizing quality or excellence.
Compare with Definitions
Value
The significance or importance one assigns to something.
Family holds immense value in many cultures.
Merit
The quality of being particularly good or commendable.
The novel's merit lies in its intricate plot and well-developed characters.
Value
The principles or standards of a person's judgment.
Integrity and honesty are core values she lives by.
Merit
Worthiness or deserving of praise, reward, or recognition.
His dedication and hard work certainly have merit.
Value
An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return.
Merit
An aspect of someone's character or behavior seen as deserving of approval.
She got the scholarship on the merit of her academic achievements.
Value
Monetary or material worth
The fluctuating value of gold and silver.
Merit
A virtue that is inherent, not just apparent or superficial.
The merit of the idea became evident when it was implemented successfully.
Value
Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit
The value of an education.
Merit
Superior quality or worth; excellence
A proposal of some merit.
An ill-advised plan without merit.
Value
Often values A principle or standard, as of behavior, that is considered important or desirable
"The speech was a summons back to the patrician values of restraint and responsibility" (Jonathan Alter).
Merit
A quality deserving praise or approval; virtue
A store having the merit of being open late.
Value
Precise meaning or import, as of a word.
Merit
Demonstrated ability or achievement
Promotions based on merit alone.
Value
(Mathematics) A quantity or number expressed by an algebraic term.
Merit
Often merits An aspect of character or behavior deserving approval or disapproval
Judging people according to their merits.
Value
(Music) The relative duration of a tone or rest.
Merit
In various religions, spiritual credit granted for good works.
Value
The relative darkness or lightness of a color. See Table at color.
Merit
(Law) The factors to be considered in making a substantive decision in a case, independent of procedural or technical aspects
A trial on the merits.
Value
(Linguistics) The sound quality of a letter or diphthong.
Merit
The factual content of a matter, apart from emotional, contextual, or formal considerations.
Value
One of a series of specified values
Issued a stamp of new value.
Merit
To earn; deserve.
Value
To determine or estimate the worth or value of; appraise.
Merit
To be worthy or deserving
Pupils are rewarded or corrected, as they merit.
Value
To regard highly; esteem
I value your advice.
Merit
(countable) A claim to commendation or a reward.
Value
To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability; evaluate
Valued health above money.
Merit
(countable) A mark or token of approbation or to recognize excellence.
For her good performance in the examination, her teacher gave her ten merits.
Value
To assign a value to (a unit of currency, for example).
Merit
Something deserving or worthy of positive recognition or reward.
His reward for his merit was a check for $50.
Value
Of or relating to the practice of investing in individual securities that, according to some fundamental measure, such as book value, appear to be relatively less expensive than comparable securities.
Merit
The sum of all the good deeds that a person does which determines the quality of the person's next state of existence and contributes to the person's growth towards enlightenment.
To acquire or make merit
Value
Relating to or consisting of principles or standards
A value system.
Merit
Usually in the plural form the merits: the substantive rightness or wrongness of a legal argument, a lawsuit, etc., as opposed to technical matters such as the admissibility of evidence or points of legal procedure; (by extension) the overall good or bad quality, or rightness or wrongness, of some other thing.
Even though the plaintiff was ordered by the judge to pay some costs for not having followed the correct procedure, she won the case on the merits.
Value
The quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable.
The Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world.
Merit
The quality or state of deserving retribution, whether reward or punishment.
Value
(uncountable) The degree of importance given to something.
The value of my children's happiness is second only to that of my wife.
Merit
(transitive) To deserve, to earn.
Her performance merited wild applause.
Value
That which is valued or highly esteemed, such as one's morals, morality, or belief system.
He does not share his parents' values.
Family values
Merit
(intransitive) To be deserving or worthy.
They were punished as they merited.
Value
The amount (of money or goods or services) that is considered to be a fair equivalent for something else.
Merit
To reward.
Value
(music) The relative duration of a musical note.
The value of a crotchet is twice that of a quaver.
Merit
The quality or state of deserving well or ill; desert.
Here may men see how sin hath his merit.
Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthoughtFor things that others do; and when we fall,We answer other's merits in our name.
Value
(arts) The relative darkness or lightness of a color in (a specific area of) a painting etc.
Merit
The quality or state of deserving well; worth; excellence.
Reputation is . . . oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,And every author's merit, but his own.
Value
Any definite numerical quantity or other mathematical object, determined by being measured, computed, or otherwise defined.
The exact value of pi cannot be represented in decimal notation.
Merit
Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation; as, his teacher gave him ten merits.
Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth.
Value
Precise meaning; import.
The value of a word; the value of a legal instrument
Merit
To earn by service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to deserve; sometimes, to deserve in a bad sense; as, to merit punishment.
Value
(in the plural) The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treating a mass or compound; specifically, the precious metals contained in rock, gravel, etc.
The vein carries good values.
The values on the hanging walls
Merit
To reward.
Value
(obsolete) Esteem; regard.
Merit
To acquire desert; to gain value; to receive benefit; to profit.
Value
(obsolete) Valour; also spelled valew.
Merit
Any admirable quality or attribute;
Work of great merit
Value
To estimate the value of; judge the worth of something.
I will have the family jewels valued by a professional.
Merit
The quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance);
There were many children whose deservingness he recognized and rewarded
Value
To fix or determine the value of; assign a value to, as of jewelry or art work.
Merit
Be worthy or deserving;
You deserve a promotion after all the hard work you have done
Value
To regard highly; think much of; place importance upon.
Gold was valued highly among the Romans.
Merit
A point in favor of an argument or proposition.
The theory has its merits, but it also has several drawbacks.
Value
To hold dear.
I value these old photographs.
Value
The property or aggregate properties of a thing by which it is rendered useful or desirable, or the degree of such property or sum of properties; worth; excellence; utility; importance.
Ye are all physicians of no value.
Ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Cæsar is well acquainted with your virtue,And therefore sets this value on your life.
Before events shall have decided on the value of the measures.
Value
Worth estimated by any standard of purchasing power, especially by the market price, or the amount of money agreed upon as an equivalent to the utility and cost of anything.
An article may be possessed of the highest degree of utility, or power to minister to our wants and enjoyments, and may be universally made use of, without possessing exchangeable value.
Value is the power to command commodities generally.
Value is the generic term which expresses power in exchange.
His design was not to pay him the value of his pictures, because they were above any price.
Value
Precise signification; import; as, the value of a word; the value of a legal instrument
Value
Esteem; regard.
My relation to the person was so near, and my value for him so great
Value
The relative length or duration of a tone or note, answering to quantity in prosody; thus, a quarter note [ ] has the value of two eighth notes [ ].
Value
In an artistical composition, the character of any one part in its relation to other parts and to the whole; - often used in the plural; as, the values are well given, or well maintained.
Value
Valor.
Value
That property of a color by which it is distinguished as bright or dark; luminosity.
Value
Any particular quantitative determination; as, a function's value for some special value of its argument.
Value
The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treatment from any mass or compound; specif., the precious metals contained in rock, gravel, or the like; as, the vein carries good values; the values on the hanging walls.
Value
To estimate the value, or worth, of; to rate at a certain price; to appraise; to reckon with respect to number, power, importance, etc.
The mind doth value every moment.
The queen is valued thirty thousand strong.
The king must take it ill,That he's so slightly valued in his messenger.
Neither of them valued their promises according to rules of honor or integrity.
Value
To rate highly; to have in high esteem; to hold in respect and estimation; to appreciate; to prize; as, to value one for his works or his virtues.
Which of the dukes he values most.
Value
To raise to estimation; to cause to have value, either real or apparent; to enhance in value.
Some value themselves to their country by jealousies of the crown.
Value
To be worth; to be equal to in value.
The peace between the French and us not valuesThe cost that did conclude it.
Value
A numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed;
The value assigned was 16 milliseconds
Value
The quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable;
The Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world
Value
The amount (of money or goods or services) that is considered to be a fair equivalent for something else;
He tried to estimate the value of the produce at normal prices
Value
Relative darkness or lightness of a color;
I establish the colors and principal values by organizing the painting into three values--dark, medium...and light
Value
(music) the relative duration of a musical note
Value
An ideal accepted by some individual or group;
He has old-fashioned values
Value
Fix or determine the value of; assign a value to;
Value the jewelry and art work in the estate
Value
Hold dear;
I prize these old photographs
Value
Regard highly; think much of;
I respect his judgement
We prize his creativity
Value
Place a value on; judge the worth of something;
I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional
Value
Estimate the value of;
How would you rate his chances to become President?
Gold was rated highly among the Romans
Value
The monetary worth of something.
The value of the house has doubled over the past decade.
Value
The utility or usefulness of something to someone.
The educational value of the program is unparalleled.
Value
A quantifiable measure used in mathematics or computing.
The value of x in the equation was determined to be 5.
Common Curiosities
Can something have Value but lack Merit?
Yes, an item might have sentimental Value to someone but might not possess any notable Merit.
Is Value always monetary?
No, Value can be monetary, sentimental, intrinsic, or based on other forms of worth.
How do Value and Merit differ conceptually?
Value pertains to importance or worth, while Merit focuses on inherent quality or excellence.
Does Merit always warrant reward?
Not always, but Merit typically suggests a deservingness of recognition or reward.
How does culture influence Value and Merit?
Culture can shape what is Valued and what qualities are seen as having Merit within a society.
Are both Value and Merit subjective?
While both can be subjective, Value tends to be more subjective, while Merit often has more objective benchmarks.
How do businesses determine the Value of a product?
Businesses often determine Value based on costs, demand, perceived worth, and competition.
Can Value change over time?
Absolutely, what is Valued can change based on societal shifts, personal growth, and other factors.
In what scenarios is Merit evaluated?
Merit is often evaluated in contests, job applications, academic assessments, and awards.
Can an artwork's Value differ from its Merit?
Yes, an artwork might have high monetary Value but be criticized for lacking artistic Merit.
Can an action be of Merit but not Value?
It's possible for an action to have Merit due to its quality but not be Valued in a particular context.
Are personal values and Value the same?
Personal values are ethical beliefs, while Value can also mean worth or importance.
How do emotions influence Value?
Emotions can significantly impact perceived Value, as in the case of sentimental items or experiences.
Is Merit always positive?
Typically, Merit refers to positive qualities or achievements, but in some contexts, it might be neutral.
Is Merit based solely on inherent qualities?
Mostly, but Merit can also be based on achievements or contributions.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
