A good or valuable quality that makes something worthy of praise or consideration.
“The proposal has merit, but implementation costs remain a serious concern.”
“Reviewers agree the plan has some merit, especially for reducing traffic congestion.”
In balanced viewpoint passages, writers often acknowledge the merits of an opposing idea before disagreeing with it overall. Spotting 'merit' helps you separate genuine praise from the writer's final judgment on the issue.
Synonyms: advantage, strength, value