Meritorious means very good in a way that deserves praise — not merely nice, but worthy of thanks, a medal, or a formal mention. You hear it in schools, the army, certificates, and newspaper write-ups: meritorious service, meritorious conduct. It is a stiff, official word; a parent might say “I’m proud of you”, but a citation says meritorious. Though actually the Latin underneath is about earning: you have done something that pays in honour. That is why it sits in the same family as merit. It is the opposite mood of meretricious, which looks similar on the page but means cheap glitter, not real worth.