Decency
/ˈdiː.sən.si/noun
Behavior that conforms to accepted standards of propriety, modesty, or respectability.
Did you know?Decency comes from Latin *decēns*, meaning “seemly” or “fitting,” from *decēre*—the same root behind words tied to what is appropriate, worthy, and in harmony with the order of things.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dek-
“to take, accept, or seem fitting”
Latin
Latin
decēre
“to be fitting, proper, or seemly”
Latin
Latin
decēns
“fitting, proper, respectable”
Old French
Old French
decent
“seemly, proper”
14th–15th Century
English
decent
“proper, respectable, modest”
16th Century
English
decency
“the quality of being proper or becoming”
Modern English
English
decency
“conformity to accepted standards of behavior or taste”