The goal of UML is to provide a standard notation that can be used by all object-oriented methods and to select and integrate the best elements of precursor notations.
UML has been designed for a broad range of applications.
UML and Merise are not completely similar.
Each one has a different concept.
UML, for example, takes care of the object-oriented modeling, while Merise works best for relational databases.
UML, or Unified Modeling Language, is a visual modeling language that helps software developers visualize and construct new systems.
It's not a programming language — it's a set of rules specifically for drawing diagrams.