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Decorous Got Its Start With Etiquette
One of the earliest recorded uses of decorous appears in a book titled The Rules of Civility (1671): “It is not decorous to look in the glass, to comb, brush, or do any thing of that nature to ourselves, whilst the said person be in the Room.” This rule of thumb may be a bit outdated; like many behaviors once deemed unbecoming, public primping is unlikely to offend in modern times. Though mores shift, decorous lives on to describe timeless courtesies like polite speech, proper attire, and (ahem) covering one’s cough.
Examples of decorous in a Sentence
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
But such disagreements tended to be handled with the decorous language of diplomacy.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The playing position was thought more decorous than the position for the violin, and the mandolin itself was visually attractive, appearing as a fashion accessory in any number of paintings.
—Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Its decorous leaves are not even an inch long.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decorous
Cite this Entry
“Decorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorous. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decorous
adjective
