Decorous
/ˈdɛk.ər.əs/noun
Marked by propriety, good taste, and respectful behavior.
Did you know?Decorous entered English through Latin decorus, tied to decus (“beauty, grace, honor”), so the word originally carried the idea of conduct that was not just proper, but aesthetically and morally fitting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dek-
“to take, accept; also to be fitting or proper”
Latin
Latin
decet
“it is fitting, it is proper”
Latin
Latin
decorus
“becoming, seemly, proper, graceful”
Late Middle English
English
decorous
“proper, seemly, fitting in conduct or appearance”
Modern English
English
decorous
“marked by propriety and good taste”