Definition of deportmentnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun deportment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deportment are bearing, carriage, demeanor, manner, and mien. While all these words mean "the outward manifestation of personality or attitude," deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

When can bearing be used instead of deportment?

The synonyms bearing and deportment are sometimes interchangeable, but bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

When is carriage a more appropriate choice than deportment?

The words carriage and deportment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

In what contexts can demeanor take the place of deportment?

Although the words demeanor and deportment have much in common, demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

When is it sensible to use manner instead of deportment?

While the synonyms manner and deportment are close in meaning, manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

When could mien be used to replace deportment?

The meanings of mien and deportment largely overlap; however, mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

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 deportment His subsequent placement in ICE custody made his deportment case the most prominent in the new Trump administration. Juwayriah Wright, Time, 23 Apr. 2025 Dress, deportment, and public speaking were all stressed. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2025 Was Hill’s deportment absolutely perfect? Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025 Why cast a hearing actor with tremendous charisma next to a deaf actor who is made out (in costuming, grooming and general deportment) to be a schlub? Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for deportment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deportment
Noun
  • His work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, behavior change, and technology.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • But the hardest part of the novel wasn’t scripting the scheming, backstabbing, or duplicitous behavior.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • His unassuming demeanor belies the fact that his generations-spanning music has been lauded by The New York Times and Billboard.
    DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • But some of the most common houseplants, beloved for their stunning foliage and low-maintenance demeanor, are actually part of the succulent family.
    Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the legislature should act on the report’s recommendations with actions to strengthen reporting, enforce existing laws, prevent further abandonment of wells and ensure polluters pay for cleanup.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Penny, too, was acquitted by a jury who decided his actions were reasonable.
    Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Deportment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deportment. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on deportment

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