decency

[dee-suhn-see]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR decency ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural de·cen·cies.

the state or quality of being decent.

conformity to the recognized standard of propriety, good taste, modesty, etc.

decencies,

the recognized standards of decent or proper behavior; proprieties: The least you can expect from them is some respect for the decencies.
the requirements or amenities for decent or comfortable living: to be able to afford the decencies.

Origin of decency

1560–70; < Latin decentia comeliness, decency, equivalent to decent- (stem of decēns) fitting (see decent) + -ia noun suffix

Synonyms for decency

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR decency ON THESAURUS.COM

2. decorum, respectability, gentility.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for decency

dignity, modesty, honesty, decorum, civility, correctness, righteousness, propriety, courtesy, virtue, formality, etiquette, fitness, seemliness, appropriateness, respectability, conventionality

Examples from the Web for decency

Contemporary Examples of decency

Indeed, they view us as children who can never adhere to the standards of civility and decency to which they hold other groups.
Dear White People: Well-Meaning Paternalism Is Still Racist
Chloé Valdary
December 9, 2014
And equal to Bunning in decency, honesty, fullness of thought, and forwardly straight talk was Rick Robinson.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists
P. J. O’Rourke
October 25, 2014
Faith is decency… if I were a cow I would be wearing a bra.
Beirut Letter: In Lebanon, Fighting ISIS With Culture and Satire
Kim Ghattas
September 22, 2014
And decency is our great, guiding strength as we face such monstrous foes as ISIS.
From ISIS Videos to JLaw Nudes, When Is Looking Abetting Evil?
Michael Daly
September 3, 2014
You just have to find that yin of decency and locate the gestures and words that smother the yang of fear.
Why the Border Bigots Are Beating Obama
Michael Tomasky
July 9, 2014

Historical Examples of decency

"Nothing but decency," he answered; and she had her reply ready for that.
Alice Adams
Booth Tarkington
Out of decency he turned his back upon him, hurrying his task to an end.
Murder Point
Coningsby Dawson
The offender must not be found out; decency, if not morality, must be respected.
Laws
Plato
I must have had a glimmer of reason then, a trace of decency and unselfishness.
Kent Knowles: Quahaug
Joseph C. Lincoln
What's a parcel of yelling Come-Outers compared to the decency of this town?
Keziah Coffin
Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for decency

decency

noun plural -cies

conformity to the prevailing standards of propriety, morality, modesty, etc

the quality of being decent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for decency

1560s, "appropriateness," from Latin decentia "comeliness, decency," from decentem "becoming, fitting" (see decent). Meaning "modesty" (i.e. "appropriateness to standards of society") is from 1630s.