decency

noun

ˈdē-sᵊn-sē How to pronounce decency (audio)
Definition of decencynext
1
as in etiquette
socially acceptable behavior the standards of basic decency demanded that they help the old lady with her groceries

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decency Everyone has the right to human decency, especially by our law enforcement and COs. — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 At least Payton had the decency to meet the media for an unscheduled press conference Thursday rather than send Webb to the wolves (think Nuggets’ David Adelman as the first public voice on Michael Malone’s firing). — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026 At least Mark Zuckerberg had the decency to be duplicitous, Altman is just openly consumed by the mania of trying to win the most important technological arms race since the atom bomb. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026 An unmanaged spreadsheet has the decency to sit there until someone opens it. — Adrian Carr, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decency
  1. etiquette
  2. morality
  3. decorum
  4. integrity
  5. propriety
  6. virtue
  7. dignity
  8. honesty
Noun
  • By the Victorian era, particularly following Prince Albert’s death in 1861 and Queen Victoria’s subsequent four decades in mourning, bereavement had evolved into an elaborate system of social etiquette.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
  • And there would have been girls rebelling against social etiquette back then, like, there would now.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of etiquette
Noun
  • Not sincere, caring concern, and not questions about the legality or morality of Grace’s ultimatum.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Their morality, as Peter Thiel taught Sam Altman, is to become a monopoly — that’s the only true business, is to be a monopoly.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of morality
Noun
  • The blunderbuss of violations of the basic decorum and dignity of democracy have become such a daily matter that the increasingly familiar response is to sigh and surrender.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • However, her choice of a plainer variety for Monday’s festivities fit with the occasion’s decorum.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of decorum
Noun
  • The Justice Department aims to send poll monitors to all 50 states in the 2026 midterms, marking an ambitious expansion of a longstanding federal initiative aimed at ensuring election integrity.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But when the firmware itself is compromised, the source and integrity of the update become especially important.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of integrity
Noun
  • What is striking is that all these versions agree on her shyness, modesty, and propriety.
    — Eva Blanco Medina, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026
  • That sense of propriety was partly imposed upon him by his father, who, in covering up John’s misdeed, placed an albatross around his son’s neck, demanding his conformity to a narrow sort of principle.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of propriety
Noun
  • The virtue-signaling from the insufferable COVID summer of 2020 turned a lot of people off, rightfully so.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The nod to purity emphasized the paint brand’s relationship to cleanliness and virtue, and possibly other notions of bigotry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of virtue
Noun
  • Under Porter's direction, the ensemble mines every beat for honest friction, turning a century-old battle over dignity and artistic ownership into an electrifying stage presence.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Absurd and darkly humorous drama, offering an unconventional take on aging, loneliness and human dignity.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of dignity
Noun
  • Listen to their thoughts, then speak with hope, honesty and kindness.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The genre will continue to preserve the emotional honesty of its lyrics, which have traditionally focused on love.
    — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of honesty

Browse Nearby Words

decelerations
decency
decent
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Cite this Entry

“Decency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decency. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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