The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Merit \Mer"it\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Merited; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Meriting.] [F. m['e]riter, L. meritare, v. intens. fr.
   merere. See Merit, n.]
   1. 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. "This kindness merits
      thanks." --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To reward. [R. & Obs.] --Chapman.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

merited
    adj 1: properly deserved; "a merited success" [syn: merited,
           deserved] [ant: unmerited]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

35 Moby Thesaurus words for "merited":
   appropriate, balanced, condign, defensible, deserved, due, earned,
   entitled, equitable, even, evenhanded, fair, fair and square, fit,
   good, just, justifiable, justified, lawful, legal, level, meet,
   meet and right, proper, qualified, requisite, right,
   right and proper, rightful, square, suitable, warrantable,
   warranted, well-earned, worthy