Dictionary

decorum en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈkɔːɹəm/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin decōrum, neuter form of decōrus (“proper, decent”).

Meanings

1. (uncountable) Appropriate social behavior.
   • Everyone was assembled in the dining-room. Under the circumstances, we were naturally not a cheerful party. The reaction after a shock is always trying, and I think we were all suffering from it. Decorum and good breeding naturally enjoined that our demeanour should be much as usual, yet I could not help wondering if this self-control were really a matter of great difficulty. There were no red eyes, no signs of secretly indulged grief. 1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 57:
   • It was sort of a finishing school. You know, to teach proper social decorum and so on and so forth. 2010, Pseudonymous Bosch (pseudonym; Raphael Simon), This Isn't What It Looks Like, ch. 4
2. (countable) A convention of social behavior.
   • In the architecture and embellishments of the chamber, the evident design was to dazzle and astound. Little attention had been paid to the decora of what is technically called “keeping,” or to the proprieties of nationality. The eye wandered from object to object, and rested upon none; neither the “Grotesques” of the Greek painters, nor the sculptures of the best Italian days, nor the huge carvings of untutored Egypt. 1834 January, [Edgar Allan Poe], “The Visionary”, in The Lady’s Book, page 41, column 2:

Forms

Synonyms

etiquette · propriety · courtesy · decency

Translations (77)

bg поря́дки (a convention of social behavior) · ja 礼儀) (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · hu illem (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ru благопристо́йность (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · sv anständighet (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · fi käytöstavat (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ro cuviință (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · bg поря́дъчност (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · grc εὐσχημοσύνη (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ja reigi tadashisa) (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ro decență (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de Konvention (a convention of social behavior) · sv värdighet (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · fi säädyllisyys (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · it decoro (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · bg благопристо́йност (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ja 礼儀正しさ (れいぎただしさ (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · cmn 體統 /体统 (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · hu konvenció (a convention of social behavior) · fr décorum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ru пра́вила поведе́ния (a convention of social behavior) · es decoro (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · id dekorum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ms تاتاسوسيلا (a convention of social behavior) · ms tatasusila (a convention of social behavior) · pl decorum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de Anständigkeit (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · el ευπρέπεια (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · bg етике́т (a convention of social behavior) · es pundonor (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ja 端正さ (たんせいさ (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · bg присто́йност (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ru прили́чие (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · la decōrum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ru этике́т (a convention of social behavior) · hu szokás (a convention of social behavior) · ru благоприли́чие (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ca decor (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ka ზრდილობა (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · hu illendőség (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ca decòrum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ja 礼儀作法 (a convention of social behavior) · de Anstand (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · hu illemszabály (a convention of social behavior) · id dekorum (a convention of social behavior) · ms سوسيلا (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ka წესიერება (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ru деко́рум (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de Dekorum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · bg благоприли́чие (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · cmn 禮儀 /礼仪 (a convention of social behavior) · de Benimmregel (a convention of social behavior) · de Anstandsregel (a convention of social behavior) · fi hyvä käytös (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de Anstandsregeln (a convention of social behavior) · de Schicklichkeit (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · fi etiketti (a convention of social behavior) · pl dekorum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de Etikette (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de Konventionen (a convention of social behavior) · ja tansei-sa) (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ja 礼儀 (a convention of social behavior) · bg прили́чие (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ka დეკორუმი (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ka ღირსეულობა (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · pa ਤਮੀਜ਼ (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ro cădere (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · de guter Ton (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · gl decoro (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ka ზრდილობის წესები (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · hu tisztesség (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · sv dekorum (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ms susila (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · ka ეტიკეტი (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · cmn 端正 (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · pt decoro (appropriate social behavior; propriety) · gv beasaght (appropriate social behavior; propriety)