demerits
Marks against you
Demerits are marks against someone's record, typically in schools or military settings, given as punishment for misconduct or poor performance: Three demerits and you lose weekend privileges.
More broadly, demerits are faults or disadvantages—the opposite of merits: The committee weighed the merits and demerits of the proposal.
Units of tally
- infractionsMinor violations of rules
- violationsBreaches of rules
- marksVisible signs or grades
- strikesRefusals to work collectively
warnings · citations · write-ups · black marks · penalty points · tally · accumulation · threshold
Trained self-control or specialty
- reprimandFormal expression of disapproval
- sanctionApproval or punitive measure
- detentionTemporary official holding
- suspensionTemporary halt or exclusion
expulsion · probation · correction · consequences · admonishment · censure · reproof · chastisement
A fault or weakness
- weaknessDeficiency in force
- drawbackUnfavorable feature or flaw
- limitationBound on extent
- deficiencyLack of something needed
disadvantage · imperfection · defect · fault · blemish · handicap · downside · negative
points
Units of tally
- infractionsMinor violations of rules
- violationsBreaches of rules
- marksVisible signs or grades
strikes · warnings · citations · write-ups · black marks · penalty points · tally · accumulation · threshold · system
discipline
Trained self-control or specialty
- reprimandFormal expression of disapproval
- sanctionApproval or punitive measure
- detentionTemporary official holding
suspension · expulsion · probation · correction · consequences · admonishment · censure · reproof · chastisement · disciplinary action
shortcoming
A fault or weakness
- weaknessDeficiency in force
- drawbackUnfavorable feature or flaw
- limitationBound on extent
deficiency · disadvantage · imperfection · defect · fault · blemish · handicap · downside · negative · con
- disciplinemisconduct, violation, time-out, timeout, grounded
- driving testsdriving test, permit test, road signs, parallel parking, three-point turn
- pros and conspros, cons, advantage, disadvantage, pluses
- School consequencesdetention, suspension, expulsion, grades, honor roll
- traffic lawstraffic laws, speed limit, speed limits, traffic law, traffic rules
- Military Academycadet, academy, West Point, Annapolis, VMI
- demerit pointsPenalty marks on license
- demerit systemTracking infractions via points