decorous

adjective

dec·​o·​rous ˈde-kər-əs 

 also  di-ˈkȯr-əs

: marked by propriety and good taste : correct

decorous conduct

Ever decorous, she periodically excuses herself to another room rather than allow a guest to witness her blowing her nose.

—Will Hermes

decorously adverb

decorousness noun

Did you know?

Decorous Got Its Start With Etiquette

One of the earliest recorded uses of decorous appears in a book titled The Rules of Civility (1673): “It is not decorous to look in the Glass, to comb, brush, or do any thing of that nature to ourselves, whilst the said person be in the Room.” This rule of thumb may be a bit outdated; like many behaviors once deemed unbecoming, public primping is unlikely to offend in modern times. Though mores shift, decorous lives on to describe timeless courtesies like polite speech, proper attire, and (ahem) covering one’s cough.

Synonyms

• befitting
• correct
• de rigueur
• decent
• genteel
• nice
• polite
• proper
• respectable
• seemly

Examples of decorous in a Sentence

we were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event

the oppressively decorous standards of a royal court

Recent Examples on the Web

They’re totally fictionalized and, in their own way, the intrusive projections of what Morgan might’ve thought happened between the two, but what he’s imagined is decorous and dramatically unsatisfying. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024

At the time, this decorous attire was standard at bowling alleys, where women often wore dresses or skirts. —Gabe Bullard, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2024

Compared to these scenes, the contemporary killer gams is downright decorous, even if the showstopping slit required to enable it in the dress Ferguson wears in Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation isn’t. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024

The politesse of reassurance may be desirable and decorous, but U.S. allies are not about to abandon their patron. —Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Latin decorus, from decor beauty, grace; akin to Latin decēre to be fitting — more at decent

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

decorous

adjective

dec·​o·​rous ˈdek-ə-rəs 

 also  di-ˈkōr-əs,

-ˈkȯr-

: noticeable for proper behavior and good taste : correct

decorous conduct

decorously adverb

decorousness noun