# decency

/ˈdisənsi/ (US) · /dˈiːsənsi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/decency
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. moral/social standards

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: conformity to prevailing standards of moral conduct or social propriety.

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

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

- The old laws were originally written to protect public decency.
- 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'.

## Examples

- It is a matter of decency to say thank you.
- She showed decency by offering her seat to the elderly passenger on the crowded train.
- In times of crisis, basic decency often becomes the only currency that holds a community together when formal laws fail.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.