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 of decorum

• 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

A bit of decorum isn’t too much to ask. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2025

Chairs have threatened to remove people who break decorum. —Cate Charron, IndyStar, 1 Dec. 2025

Previous Congresses barely featured one censure, let alone four in one week, which strategists say is indicative of the breakdown in procedure and decorum in the House. —Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 21 Nov. 2025

Additional safeguards include more security officers stationed throughout, podium rules preventing groups from crowding together and stricter enforcement of decorum to avoid disruptions. —Tori Mason, CBS News, 18 Nov. 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