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
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
That, too, was a violation of Graf's decorum order.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decorum
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
That, too, was a violation of Graf's decorum order.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decorum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorum
Noun
-
Her shelves contained books on correct etiquette when entertaining (How to Do It, or, The Lively Art of Entertaining by Elsa Maxwell) and instructional books covering many areas of life, ranging from gardening and raising Siamese cats to keeping turtles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Before the group came out, a group of extras mimed drinking tea and feasting on pastries, with pinky fingers aloft — per the song’s innate spoofing of the etiquette stereotypically associated with tea drinking.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The next step is the dissolution of truth and the prioritisation of loyalty above decency.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
But it can also be felt beyond it, in the political culture of this country — one in which ruthlessness and fraudulent fear-mongering can outperform decency and truth in the fight for power.—
Shaan Merchant,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
And the small tabletop brought a sense of dignity and propriety to the meal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decorum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorum. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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