1
as in etiquette
socially acceptable behavior
the standards of basic decency demanded that they help the old lady with her groceries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
President Trump has no common decency and is a chilling reminder of how Germany’s hateful behavior began and was allowed to grow.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2025
His public defense team, led by Anne Taylor, has tried — to no avail — to remove capital punishment as a sentencing option, arguing that the death penalty is unconstitutional, breaks with evolving standards of decency and is arbitrarily applied.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 15 Mar. 2025
How it got expressed in Tony was not sharp elbows, but a boundless, Midwestern good nature, and decency.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
Dudes are fighting for everything on the line... Have the decency to look a man in his eyes and not walk away.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decency
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2025
His public defense team, led by Anne Taylor, has tried — to no avail — to remove capital punishment as a sentencing option, arguing that the death penalty is unconstitutional, breaks with evolving standards of decency and is arbitrarily applied.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 15 Mar. 2025
How it got expressed in Tony was not sharp elbows, but a boundless, Midwestern good nature, and decency.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
Dudes are fighting for everything on the line... Have the decency to look a man in his eyes and not walk away.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decency
Noun
-
There's another group of passengers who should never remove their shoes, said Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette expert.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Jo Hayes is an etiquette expert, consultant, and the founder of Etiquette Expert.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Approval from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, much like the morality police, requires artists to master abstraction, ensuring their work remains powerful yet permissible.—
Rebecca Ruth Gould,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Apr. 2025
-
An anti-Disney morality tale seeks modern morality.—
Armond White,
National Review,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
There is a time for decorum and there is a time to speak truth in a way that gets attention.—
Letters to the editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Moreover, his juvenile grandstanding behavior reflects poorly on District 10, which covers parts of Orlando and surrounding areas, a region that expects its leaders to uphold a certain standard of decorum.—
Lou Marin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Led by long-time area residents Nick Barela and Brooks Mosier, KC Property Group was founded on integrity, fairness, and a sense of community.—
KC Property Group,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2025
-
By keeping discovery tied to the speedy trial clock, the governor’s proposal preserves the integrity of the 2019 reforms, but will not take us back to pre-2019.—
Mimi Rocah,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Ginny, their passive-aggressive control freak of a mother, will not admit into her home any problems, doubts or identities that violate her sense of upbeat Christian propriety.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
13 Dec. 2024
-
This version of Evangelina—the one that’s the picture of propriety —is the one that has endured until now.—
Laura Gómez,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Modern business culture is in a constant state of evolution, and what was once seen as a virtue can sometimes be misinterpreted as a vice.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Rather, the influencers who extol offal’s virtues seem to do so on the basis of its nutrient density.—
Valerie Trapp,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Many Cambodians, particularly in the countryside, welcomed the Khmer Rouge, with its mix of hard-line communist ideology and extreme Cambodian nationalism, as liberators who promised to restore order and dignity.—
Sophal Ear,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The importance of connection and socialization is evident every day in Florida’s assisted living communities, a communal long-term care setting designed to provide seniors with a sense of dignity, independence and belonging.—
Gail Matillo,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These core values must be upheld with honesty, conviction, and consistency.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Michael’s raw, urban, industrial aesthetic, combined with searing honesty, is exactly what Jonathan wants for Rent.—
Jeffrey Seller,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decency. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share