decorum
Americannoun
-
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
- Synonyms:
- dignity, politeness
-
the quality or state of being decorous, or exhibiting such dignified propriety; orderliness; regularity.
-
Usually decorums an observance or requirement of polite society.
noun
-
propriety, esp in behaviour or conduct
-
a requirement of correct behaviour in polite society
Synonym Usage
See etiquette.
Etymology
Origin of decorum
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin decōrum, noun use of neuter of decōrus decorous
Explanation
Decorum is proper and polite behavior. If you let out a big belch at a fancy dinner party, you're not showing much decorum. This noun is from Latin decōrus "proper, becoming, handsome," from décor "beauty, grace," which is also the source of English décor. The corresponding adjective is decorous, meaning "well-behaved in a particular situation." Both decorum and decorous are often used to describe behavior in a classroom or courtroom.
Vocabulary lists containing decorum
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Decorum wielded like a weapon, courtesy as a high-art burn.
From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2022
Decorum rules circulated to Senate offices say that “reading materials should be confined to only those readings which pertain to the matter before the Senate.”
From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2020
Q. Office Decorum: My office consists of about 20 people, the majority of whom are young women in their early 20s, a number of which this is their first job.
From Slate • Jun. 3, 2015
It is this particular horror of gas that is captured in Wilfred Owen's poem Dulce et Decorum Est, arguably the most widely read description of the horrors of war in the English language.
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2015
Decorum can be seen as the ethos appeal working at the level of the language itself.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
