decorum

noun

de·​co·​rum di-ˈkȯr-əm 

1

: literary and dramatic propriety : fitness

According to strict neoclassic decorum only the aristocracy had the right to appear in tragedy …

—Irving Babbitt

2

: propriety and good taste in conduct or appearance

… strict in her notions of decorum …

—Jane Austen

3

: orderliness

… the organization's decorum has rarely been shaken.

—W. F. Longgood

4

decorums plural : the conventions of polite behavior

… the established sobrieties and decorums of English life.

—H. G. Wells

Synonyms of decorum

• etiquette
• decency
• propriety

Examples of decorum in a Sentence

He has no sense of decorum.

high standards of decorum are usually required when attending the opera

Recent Examples on the Web

Under British royal decorum, the king is expected to avoid similar debates about ongoing political issues. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

In my life, up until that time, there had been a sense of decorum expected in the Presidential campaigns. —Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026

Nothing to see here, although neither her lawyer nor her accountant’s name are known and when asked for such information, Omar can strike out with the decorum of a sailor on leave. —Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026

If there’s cleverness to the way Lindsay-Abaire keeps passing the buck of hypocrisy between the members of the neighborhood association, there’s also a pervading sense of decorum that limits how far the satire can go. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from neuter of decorus — see decorous

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for decorum

• picloram
• pullorum
• aurum
• foram
• forum
• quorum
• digitorum
• neonatorum

Kids Definition

decorum

noun

de·​co·​rum di-ˈkōr-əm 

-ˈkȯr-

1

: agreement with accepted standards of conduct : proper behavior

social decorum

2

: the state or condition of being calm, orderly, and well-regulated

the decorum of the meeting