decency
Americannoun
-
decencies
plural
-
the state or quality of being decent.
-
conformity to the recognized standard of propriety, good taste, modesty, etc.
- Synonyms:
- gentility, respectability, decorum
-
decencies,
noun
-
conformity to the prevailing standards of propriety, morality, modesty, etc
-
the quality of being decent
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of decency
1560–70; < Latin decentia comeliness, decency, equivalent to decent- (stem of decēns ) fitting ( see decent) + -ia noun suffix
Explanation
The personal quality of decency is one of honesty, good manners, and respect for other people. Over time, decency has referred to manners, but today decency is mainly a strong sense of right and wrong, and a high standard of honesty. When a criminal or dictator does horrible things, people assume they have no sense of decency. When a tasteless or violent TV show becomes popular, some people wonder if society has lost its sense of decency. Asking "Have you no decency?" is a serious question, unless you're being silly and complaining about something like homework.
Vocabulary lists containing decency
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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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.
See Examples For:
Paying tribute, Naughtie praised Stourton's "great integrity and humanity", adding that he "had a kind of infectious decency which lifted people up".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Through all of the murky questions about the differences between power and glory, decency and impropriety, De Palma lands on a remarkable base of human connection that elevates “Blow Out” beyond the average thriller.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
First, he argues that using evolving standards of decency could now lead to a different conclusion from the one the Supreme Court reached back when Kennedy was decided.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Like, without even the decency to call me and say, ‘Guess what?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Mordred and Agravaine thought Arthur hypocritical—as all decent men must be, if you assume that decency can’t exist.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
“The connections that survive do so in compelling ways. … The depiction of the women in Jeanette and Carmen’s family is confident and layered, capturing their decencies and failings.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2021
“As I wrap this up, there will still be a Tagovailoa here playing football,” Tua Tagovailoa said while making sure to tout the other two, amid remarks strewn with such decencies.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2020
By refusing to recognize the virtues of others, or even to observe the ordinary decencies, he succeeds only in diminishing himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2018
As stars, they have allowed the media and their fans total access: the po-faced decencies of 1953 have given way to complete self-exposure as these celebrities treat themselves as public property.
From The Guardian ● May 31, 2012
Once a human being is dead there are people enough to provide the last decencies; perhaps it is so because only then can there be no question of further or recurring assistance being sought.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
