adjective. Deserved; adequate.

Deserving; worthy: applied to persons.

Well-deserved; worthily bestowed; merited; suitable: applied to things— With reference to praise or thanks.

With reference to censure, punishment, or what is of the nature of punishment: the more common use.

adjective. Worthy; suitable; deserving; fit.

adjective. Deserved; adequate; suitable to the fault or crime.

adjective. Fitting, appropriate, deserved, especially denoting punishment

adjective. fitting or appropriate and deserved; used especially of punishment

"Adequate merit, also called condign merit, is merit in the strictest sense of the term; it requires proportion between service and reward."

deserved  merited  

adult-sized  aptest  condigne  corporall  cruellest  

according to Hoyle  adequate  appropriate  appropriate  atrocious