1
as in etiquette
socially acceptable behavior
the standards of basic decency demanded that they help the old lady with her groceries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in morality
conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong
expected all of the scouts in his troop to be models of decency
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decency
Still, any attempt to use Harry Potter as a lens through which to view human decency can’t avoid the ferocious, half-blind dragon in the room.
—
Séamas O'Reilly, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Even Jay Gatsby had the decency to fill his library with real books, if unopened ones.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
The media covers it as a flash fire, not as a symptom of more dry rot in the crumbling of decorum and decency.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 Mar. 2026
The Best Actor category, in particular, has honored a wide variety of performance types, from bone-chilling turns like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) to heroic tributes to human decency like Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
—Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decency
Séamas O'Reilly, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Even Jay Gatsby had the decency to fill his library with real books, if unopened ones.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
The media covers it as a flash fire, not as a symptom of more dry rot in the crumbling of decorum and decency.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 Mar. 2026
The Best Actor category, in particular, has honored a wide variety of performance types, from bone-chilling turns like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) to heroic tributes to human decency like Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
—Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decency
Noun
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In 2016, Brooks could not even conceive of the spasms and breaches of etiquette that Trumpism would produce on an almost daily basis.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The bundle also includes specialty courses like ASL for babies and toddlers — helpful for early communication — along with scuba diving hand signals and an introductory e-book on the origins and etiquette of sign language.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Policies were justified not with reference to morality or metaphysics but with citations of white papers.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In the winter of 2022, crowds around the globe protested after the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, taken into custody by Iran's morality police for how she was dressed.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Graves said redistricting in his home state, nor the breakdown in decorum and hyper-partisanship of Congress, factored into his decision to retire.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
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In more recent times, civil-military frictions have consisted almost entirely of civilian leaders pushing the military up to or over the bounds of traditional decorum or even the law.—
Kori Schake,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Speak up to create results that show integrity.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
His message centered heavily on election integrity, a theme that has become a cornerstone of his campaign.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her wealthy new family refuses to extend any of their access or connections to Annie; to them, friendship is nowhere near as important as propriety.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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And a sense of propriety and respect for the office, right?—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Arthur Brooks, in particular, has made a career of elevating his noncommittal waffling into a warped kind of virtue.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Huckleberry Finn provided Jim with courage, dignity, and virtue.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The commitment to repatriation reflects a broader emphasis on treating human remains with dignity regardless of their age or the circumstances of their discovery.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
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The discovery serves as a reminder that even ordinary projects like home renovations can unearth the extraordinary — and that every set of remains, no matter how old, deserves to be treated with dignity and care.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When Saint Harison released his EP Lost a Friend in 2023, the songs felt like diary entries set to velvet production, full of intimate spiraling and steeped in late-night honesty.—
Gabrielle Nicole Pharms,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
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Jacobs is a real find as Matt, exhibiting a touch of honesty and authenticity that matches his co-star’s in every way.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decency. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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