deportment

noun

de·​port·​ment di-ˈpȯrt-mənt 

dē-

: the manner in which one conducts (see conduct entry 1 sense 2) oneself : behavior

were instructed in proper dress and deportment

His features are strong and masculine …, all his motions graceful, and his deportment majestic.

—Jonathan Swift

Did you know?

Deportment, like a number of English words, has its roots in Latin portare, meaning "to carry." Other portare descendants include such familiar terms as import ("to bring from an external source"), transport ("to bring from one place to another"), and portfolio, which by its oldest meaning refers to a case for carrying papers. In the case of deportment, the thing we "carry" is ourselves. Deportment can refer simply to one's demeanor, or it can refer to behavior formed by social conditioning and often conforming to conventional rules of propriety. A 17-year-old Emily Dickinson applied the latter meaning when she wrote to her brother, Austin: "Are you not gratified that I am so rapidly gaining correct ideas of female propriety and sedate deportment?"

Synonyms of deportment

• behavior
• demeanor
• actions

Choose the Right Synonym for deportment

bearing, deportment, demeanor, mien, manner, carriage mean the outward manifestation of personality or attitude.

bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

Examples of deportment in a Sentence

The new students were instructed in proper dress and deportment.

His stiff deportment matched his strict demeanor.

Recent Examples on the Web

With his sharp cheekbones; broad, Seacrestian smile; and the game-show-host deportment to match, Schauf was the natural choice to emcee. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

But Lehman Brothers, founded in 1850, is gone, along with so many rules of personal deportment that go back just as far. — James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Why cast a hearing actor with tremendous charisma next to a deaf actor who is made out (in costuming, grooming and general deportment) to be a schlub? — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deport

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deportment

• assortment
• comportment

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Kids Definition

deportment

noun

de·​port·​ment di-ˈpōrt-mənt 

-ˈpȯrt-

: manner of conducting oneself : behavior