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

The Chinese researchers remained tactfully silent on the military front — perhaps choosing scientific decorum over a discussion of battlefield utility. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026

But Americans are so politically divided that the decorum that was once a given during State of the Union addresses has now given way to partisan outbursts and interruptions. —Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026

The still schematic design shows a large-scale grid across its facades grasping at some form of architectural decorum while demonstrating the building’s unwieldly proportions. —Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026

And at the same time, you’re constrained by rules of decorum and things like that. —Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026

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