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

• decency
• form
• 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

That such rhetoric passed without objection is not merely a failure of decorum. —Isabella Brannon, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025

Rodriguez was speaking in opposition to a new decorum policy that prohibited profanity. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2025

Aside from the clear lack of decorum, the Trump-Musk feud has turned into an outrageous display of insults and retaliation. —Harry Kraemer, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

No one has any personal space, so how would the ghosts of the past have anywhere else to hide, either? Also making I-Jing’s integration into Taipei life a challenge is her left-handedness, amid a cultural bias that prefers the right hand as much as other arbitrary decorum. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 May 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