as in etiquette
socially acceptable behavior
high standards of decorum are usually required when attending the opera
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Recent Examples of decorum
Under British royal decorum, the king is expected to avoid similar debates about ongoing political issues.
—
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In my life, up until that time, there had been a sense of decorum expected in the Presidential campaigns.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Nothing to see here, although neither her lawyer nor her accountant’s name are known and when asked for such information, Omar can strike out with the decorum of a sailor on leave.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
If there’s cleverness to the way Lindsay-Abaire keeps passing the buck of hypocrisy between the members of the neighborhood association, there’s also a pervading sense of decorum that limits how far the satire can go.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decorum
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In my life, up until that time, there had been a sense of decorum expected in the Presidential campaigns.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Nothing to see here, although neither her lawyer nor her accountant’s name are known and when asked for such information, Omar can strike out with the decorum of a sailor on leave.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
If there’s cleverness to the way Lindsay-Abaire keeps passing the buck of hypocrisy between the members of the neighborhood association, there’s also a pervading sense of decorum that limits how far the satire can go.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decorum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorum
Noun
-
One or both of them invokes the noble name of etiquette, claiming to be enforcing proper behavior.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
-
The proper etiquette is to line up to the side of the doors, then board when the outpour of people has stopped.—
Claudia Fisher,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
Noun
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This is not about right or left, MAGA or non-MAGA, but about basic human decency — the kind of decency so much of Jim Handy’s work was informed by.—
Carl Kurlander,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
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To then have individuals exploit that tragedy for personal gain demonstrates a complete disregard for basic human decency.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
All that moonlight over dewy grass and lamplight on Parisian streets create texture for the flawed adults who walk through these scenes, for their misguided sense of propriety.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
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Labels like Prada, Tom Ford, and Saint Laurent, meanwhile, have pushed the very limits of propriety by showing itsy-bitsy little shorts on their runways, sometimes little more than a wisp of fabric.—
Max Berlinger,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decorum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorum. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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