decent en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- [ˈdɪ̈i.sənt] (Australia, general)
- [ˈdɪi.sənt] (Australia) cultivated
- /ˈdiː.sənt/ (New-Zealand)
- (California) audio
- /ˈdiː.sənt/ (Australia)
- /ˈdiː.sənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈdi.sənt/ (Canada, General-American)
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French décent, or its source, Latin decēns, present participle of decet (“it is fitting or suitable”), from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take, accept, to receive, greet, be suitable”) (compare Ancient Greek δοκέω (dokéō, “to appear, seem, think”), δέχομαι (dékhomai, “to accept”); Sanskrit दशस्यति (daśasyáti, “shows honor, is gracious”), दाशति (dāśati, “makes offerings, bestows”)). Meaning ‘kind, pleasant’ is from 1902.
Meanings
- Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
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(of a person) Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
Zohran Mamdani is a decent man for not accepting the pay rise he’s entitled to, as he wishes to see that money go to the poor of New York.
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(informal) Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen.
Are you decent? May I come in?
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Fair; acceptable; okay.
I'm all for opening new stations (Transport Scotland is planning another at East Linton, about halfway between Drem and Dunbar), but they are useless without a decent service.
2021 June 30, Philip Haigh, “Regional trains squeezed as ECML congestion heads north”, in RAIL, number 934, page 53:He's a decent saxophonist, but probably not good enough to make a career of it.
A canister of flour from the kitchen had been thrown at the looking-glass and lay like trampled snow over the remains of a decent blue suit with the lining ripped out which lay on top of the ruin of a plastic wardrobe.
1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:And ‘blubbing’ . . . Blubbing went out with ‘decent’ and ‘ripping’. Mind you, not a bad new language to start up. 1920s schoolboy slang could be due for a revival.
[1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section II, page 24:
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Significant; substantial.
There are a decent number of references out there, if you can find them.
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Conforming to perceived standards of good taste.
I had a cup of tea - the last decent cup of tea for many days; and in a room that most soothingly looked just as you would expect a lady’s drawing-room to look, we had a long quiet chat by the fireside.
1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 201:
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(obsolete) Comely; shapely; well-formed.
And ſable ſtole of Cipres Lawn, Over thy decent ſhoulders drawn.
a. 1645, John Milton, “Il Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 38:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more decent | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most decent | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
immoral (antonym(s) of “conforming suitably to moral standards”) · unsatisfactory (antonym(s) of “good enough”) · indecent (antonym(s) of “sufficiently clothed”) · underdressed (antonym(s) of “sufficiently clothed”) · bad (antonym(s) of “conforming suitably to moral standards”) · inadequate (antonym(s) of “good enough”) · poor (antonym(s) of “good enough”)
Deriveds
half-decent · jolly D · decentness · decentish · do the decent thing · halfway decent · undecent · semidecent
Relateds
Synonyms
good (conforming suitably to moral standards) · satisfactory (good enough) · moral (conforming suitably to moral standards)
Translations (176)
fi ihan hyvä (fair; good enough; okay) · ru благопристо́йный (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · el ευπρεπής (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · tr adam gibi (significant; substantial) · tr yeterli (fair; good enough; okay) · tr saygın (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · cmn 體面 /体面 (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · fi huomattava (significant; substantial) · de anständig bekleidet (sufficiently clothed) · tr giyinik (sufficiently clothed) · nb bra nok (fair; good enough; okay) · hi सभ्य (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · be прысто́йны (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · eo deca (sufficiently clothed) · fi kelvollinen (significant; substantial) · tr müsait (sufficiently clothed) · ka წესიერი (fair; good enough; okay) · cs slušný (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · tr onat (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · hu tűrhető (fair; good enough; okay) · he יָשָׁר (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · sv anständig (sufficiently clothed) · hu elfogadható (fair; good enough; okay) · pl właściwy (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · sh prístōjan (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · fi sopiva (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · gl decente (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · az yararlı (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · fi vaatteet päällä (sufficiently clothed) · de sittsam (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · hu megfelelő (fair; good enough; okay) · ru прили́чный (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru подходя́щий (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · de hast du was an? (sufficiently clothed) · cs slušný (significant; substantial) · gl decente (sufficiently clothed) · ru присто́йный (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · pl przyzwoity (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · tr terbiyeli (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru неплохо́й (fair; good enough; okay) · da anstændig (significant; substantial) · pt razoável (significant; substantial) · hu ildomos (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · cmn 不賴 /不赖 (fair; good enough; okay) · ga gnaíúil (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · tr makul (fair; good enough; okay) · hi उचित (fair; good enough; okay) · tr onat (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · gsw aaschtändig (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · hu illedelmes (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · da anstændig (sufficiently clothed) · nl redelijk (fair; good enough; okay) · fi rehellinen (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · tr uygun (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · fr décent (sufficiently clothed) · hi उचित (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · da anstændig (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · sl dostojen (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · az uyğun (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · gl decente (fair; good enough; okay) · sk slušný (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · he הגון (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · az əməlli-başlı (fair; good enough; okay) · hu jó pár (significant; substantial) · nl significant (significant; substantial) · hu illő (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · da sømmelig (sufficiently clothed) · hi उपयुक्त (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · pt razoável (fair; good enough; okay) · fi kunnollinen (significant; substantial) · bg значи́телен (significant; substantial) · pt decente (sufficiently clothed) · sl spodoben (sufficiently clothed) · id baik (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru прили́чный (fair; good enough; okay) · ka წესიერი (significant; substantial) · izh vernoi (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · gd cothromach (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ka წესიერი (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · es decente (significant; substantial) · hu jó néhány (significant; substantial) · bg благоприли́чен (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru благоприли́чный (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · izh viksu (fair; good enough; okay) · ru оде́тый (sufficiently clothed) · fi pukeutunut (sufficiently clothed) · az düz-əməlli (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru поря́дочный (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · nb brukbar (fair; good enough; okay) · nl substantieel (significant; substantial) · hi उचित (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru прили́чный (significant; substantial) · sv sedesam (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · pt digno (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · ru хоро́ший (fair; good enough; okay) · bg прили́чен (significant; substantial) · nb helt greit (fair; good enough; okay) · bg прие́млив (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · nb anstendig (significant; substantial) · hu derék (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · fi säädyllinen (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · el της προκοπής (fair; good enough; okay) · fi kelpo (fair; good enough; okay) · pl przyzwoity (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · de vorzeigbar (sufficiently clothed) · az saf (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ka ზრდილი (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · uk присто́йний (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · mk пристоен (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · nl integer (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · el κόσμιος (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · de anständig (significant; substantial) · izh viksi (fair; good enough; okay) · fr substantiel (significant; substantial) · sv hyfsad (fair; good enough; okay) · hi शालीन (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · hu tisztességes (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · de anständig (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru прие́млемый (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · pl niezły (fair; good enough; okay) · hi शोभनीय (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · sl dostojen (sufficiently clothed) · hu illendő (appropriate, suitable for the circumstances) · az düz-əməlli (fair; good enough; okay) · az fərli (fair; good enough; okay) · de (ganz) anständig (fair; good enough; okay) · es decente (fair; good enough; okay) · hu rendes (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · gd cothromach (fair; good enough; okay) · gd iomchaidh (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · nl fatsoenlijk (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · hu tisztességes (fair; good enough; okay) · bg прили́чен (sufficiently clothed) · tr edepli (sufficiently clothed) · fi käypä (fair; good enough; okay) · fr intègre (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · fi komea (comely; shapely; well-formed) · sl spodoben (fair; good enough; okay) · ka შესაფერისი (sufficiently clothed) · fi pukeissa (sufficiently clothed) · cs slušný (fair; good enough; okay) · bg прили́чен (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · da pæn (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · tr yeterli (significant; substantial) · ka შესაფერისი (fair; good enough; okay) · is viðeigandi (fair; good enough; okay) · pt decente (fair; good enough; okay) · hu valamirevaló (fair; good enough; okay) · es decente (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · bg прили́чен (fair; good enough; okay) · fi kunnollinen (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · nb anstendig (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · sl spodoben (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · it presentabile (fair; good enough; okay) · sh при́сто̄јан (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · fi kunnollinen (fair; good enough; okay) · cmn 正派 (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · nl toonbaar (sufficiently clothed) · da brugbar (fair; good enough; okay) · hu van rajta ruha (sufficiently clothed) · fr décent (fair; good enough; okay) · az əməlli (fair; good enough; okay) · az dürüst (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · nb anstendig (sufficiently clothed) · da anstændig (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · ru значи́тельный (significant; substantial) · gl decente (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · pt decente (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · da pæn (significant; substantial) · da passende (sufficiently clothed) · de bist du angezogen? (sufficiently clothed) · cmn 不錯 /不错 (fair; good enough; okay) · sl spodoben (significant; substantial) · su bener (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · bg присто́ен (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness) · it perbene (showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness)