decorous

adjective

dec·​o·​rous ˈde-kər-əs 

also di-ˈkȯr-əs

: marked by propriety and good taste : correct

decorous conduct

Ever decorous, she periodically excuses herself to another room rather than allow a guest to witness her blowing her nose.

—Will Hermes

decorously adverb

decorousness noun

Did you know?

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 This rule of thumb may be a bit outdated; like many behaviors once deemed unbecoming, public primping is unlikely to offend in modern times.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.

Synonyms of decorous

• polite
• proper
• respectable
• satisfactory
• acceptable

Examples of decorous in a Sentence

we were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event

the oppressively decorous standards of a royal court

Recent Examples on the Web

What used to be called UFOs and now go by the more decorous handle of UAPs—or unidentified anomalous phenomena—are being given the full investigatory treatment. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

The press coverage in Austria and Germany had been relatively decorous. — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films. — 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

Word History

Etymology

Latin decōrus "good-looking, handsome, worthy of approval, suitable" (derivative of decōr-, decor "pleasing appearance, beauty, grace, seemliness, propriety," derivative from the stem of decet, decēre "to add grace to, adorn, be fitting or proper") + -ous — more at decent

Note: Denominal thematic derivations from an original s-stem such as decor are unusual. It has been suggested that decōrus is a back-formation from the compound adjective indecōrus indecorous, though decōrus is found as early as Plautus, indecōrus not until Cicero.

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for decorous

• indecorous

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Kids Definition

decorous

adjective

dec·​o·​rous ˈdek-ə-rəs 

also di-ˈkōr-əs, 

-ˈkȯr-

: noticeable for proper behavior and good taste : correct

decorous conduct

decorously adverb

decorousness noun