ENGLISH
REFERENCE

decency

n.
US //ˈdisənsi// UK //dˈiːsənsi// de·cen·cy
  1. 1 moral/social standards (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    behaviour that is good, moral, and acceptable to other people.

    conformity to prevailing standards of moral conduct or social propriety.

    Example

    He had the decency to admit he was wrong and apologise to the team.

    Example

    The public was shocked by the candidate's total lack of common decency during the televised debate.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'have the decency to' followed by an infinitive verb.
  2. 2 modesty (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    the quality of being polite and not showing too much of your body.

    the quality of being modest or avoiding obscenity, particularly regarding dress or public behaviour.

    Example

    The old laws were originally written to protect public decency.

    Example

    The committee debated whether the provocative advertisement violated standards of public decency and should be removed from billboards.

    Usage

    Frequently appears in the fixed legal or formal phrase 'public decency'.
    • vulgarity
Origin

From Latin decentia, from decens. Equivalent to decent + -cy. Compare French décence.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026