on the merits

"on the merits" means: Referring to a judgment, decision, or ruling of a court whose decision rests upon the law as it applies to the particular evidence and facts.... This is technical or formal vocabulary, more likely to appear in school work, news or a particular profession than in peer chat. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your child uses the term, it is usually a sign of curiosity about a subject area. A short follow-up question about where they came across it is usually all that is needed.

"on the merits" means: Referring to a judgment, decision, or ruling of a court whose decision rests upon the law as it applies to the particular evidence and facts.... Register: formal or technical English, standard in its specialist domain (law, medicine, science, finance, etc.). Gloss the term with a plain synonym when writing for a general audience. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym