Indecent
/ɪnˈdiːsənt/noun
Not conforming to accepted standards of behavior, especially in a sexual or moral sense.
Did you know?Indecent comes from Latin *indecens*, built from *in-* “not” + *decens* “fitting, proper,” from the same root as *decency* and *decorate*—so the word began as a matter of “what fits” before becoming a moral accusation.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
indecens
“not fitting, improper”
Late Latin
Latin
indecentem
“not proper or becoming”
Old French
Old French
indecent
“unseemly, improper”
15th Century
English
indecent
“not becoming or proper”
Modern English
English
indecent
“offensive to accepted standards of propriety, especially sexual propriety”