definitions

decency

[ dee-suhn-see ]
/ ˈdi sən si /
||
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,
  1. the recognized standards of decent or proper behavior; proprieties: The least you can expect from them is some respect for the decencies.
  2. the requirements or amenities for decent or comfortable living: to be able to afford the decencies.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

decemvir, decemvirate, decemvirs, decenary, decencies, decency, decennary, decennial, decennium, decent, decenter

Origin of decency

1560–70; < Latin decentia comeliness, decency, equivalent to decent- (stem of decēns) fitting (see decent) + -ia noun suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for decency

British Dictionary definitions for decency

decency

/ (ˈdiːsənsɪ) /

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

decency

n.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper