merit; meritorious; distinguished service
Formal term used in official or historical contexts to describe someone who has rendered distinguished service or achieved notable merit. Often appears in fixed expressions like 有功者 (meritorious person) or 有功章 (medal of merit).
He was commended for his many years of meritorious service.
A special pension is provided to persons of distinguished service.
medal for merit
Composed of 有 (possess, exist) and 功 (achievement, merit). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used in formal Chinese and Japanese to denote 'having merit' or 'meritorious'.