From meros (G3313, a part). Meris means a part, portion, share, or district. Used for a geographical district (Acts 16:12), a spiritual portion (Col. 1:12), and a relational share (John 13:8 — 'you have no part with me').
The word meris carries the weight of inheritance and belonging in its NT usage. In John 13:8, Jesus tells Peter during the foot-washing: 'Unless I wash you, you have no meris with me.' This is not merely a social exclusion; it is a covenantal one. To have a meris with Jesus is to share in His life, His destiny, His inheritance. The foot-washing is a symbol of the cross — without that cleansing, there is no share in Him. Colossians 1:12 gives the redemptive answer: God 'has qualified you to share in the klēros (inheritance) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.' Acts 16:12 uses meris geographically for Macedonia — but the theological sense is always present: every meris is ultimately a portion of the Father's estate, and through Christ, believers are given a full share. The prodigal son's demand for his meris (Luke 15:12) and his eventual return pictures every sinner's trajectory: claiming the portion, wasting it, then returning to the Father.