decorum

noun

de·​co·​rum di-ˈkȯr-əm 

1

: literary and dramatic propriety : fitness

according to strict neoclassic decorum only the aristocracy had the right to appear in tragedy

—Irving Babbitt

2

: propriety and good taste in conduct or appearance

strict in her notions of decorum

—Jane Austen

3

: orderliness

the organization's decorum has rarely been shaken

—W. F. Longgood

4

decorums plural : the conventions of polite behavior

the established sobrieties and decorums of English life

—H. G. Wells

Synonyms

• etiquette
• decency
• propriety

Examples of decorum in a Sentence

He has no sense of decorum.

high standards of decorum are usually required when attending the opera

Recent Examples on the Web

However to some, going barefoot is more about safety than decorum, said Aidan O’Sullivan, general manager of Kilkea Castle, a resort and golf club in Ireland. —Bella Stoddart, CNBC, 27 June 2025

Terry is a force of human nature, a one-man battering ram who still manages to maintain decorum and decency in the absence of others showing him any such courtesy. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 12 June 2025

The series is loaded with stories where the quintet takes the worst possible approach to solving a problem, while also having no real interest in privacy or decorum. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025

There is a time for decorum and there is a time to speak truth in a way that gets attention. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from neuter of decorus — see decorous

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for decorum

• picloram
• pullorum
• aurum
• foram
• forum
• quorum
• digitorum
• neonatorum

Kids Definition

decorum

noun

de·​co·​rum di-ˈkōr-əm 

-ˈkȯr-

1

: agreement with accepted standards of conduct : proper behavior

social decorum

2

: the state or condition of being calm, orderly, and well-regulated

the decorum of the meeting