decent

English

Etymology

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, “I appear, seem, think”), δέχομαι (dékhomai, “I accept”); Sanskrit दशस्यति (daśasyáti, “shows honor, is gracious”), दाशति (dāśati, “makes offerings, bestows”)). Meaning ‘kind, pleasant’ is from 1902.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdiːsənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːsənt

Adjective

decent (comparative more decent, superlative most decent)

1. Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
2. (of a person) Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
3. (informal) Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen.

   Are you decent? May I come in?

4. Fair; acceptable; okay.

   He's a decent saxophonist, but probably not good enough to make a career of it.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     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.

   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, London: Heinemann, →OCLC, page 35:

     And ‘blubbing’... Blubbing went out with ‘decent’ and ‘ripping’. Mind you, not a bad new language to start up. Nineteen-twenties schoolboy slang could be due for a revival.

   • 2021 June 30, Philip Haigh, “Regional trains squeezed as ECML congestion heads north”, in RAIL, number 934, page 53:

     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.

5. Significant; substantial.

   There are a decent number of references out there, if you can find them.

6. Conforming to perceived standards of good taste.
   • 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:

     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.

7. (obsolete) Comely; shapely; well-formed.
   • a. 1645, John Milton, “Il Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, , London: Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, , published 1646, →OCLC, page 38:

     And ſable ſtole of Cipres Lawn,
     Over thy decent ſhoulders drawn.

Usage notes

• This term has a mildly positive connotation.

Synonyms

• (conforming suitably to moral standards): good, moral
• (good enough): See Thesaurus:satisfactory

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "conforming suitably to moral standards"): bad, immoral
• (antonym(s) of "sufficiently clothed"): indecent, underdressed
• (antonym(s) of "good enough"): inadequate, poor, unsatisfactory

Derived terms

Related terms

• decency
• decently

Translations

References

• “decent”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• cedent

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin decens.

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Adjective

decent

1. decent

Latin

Verb

decent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of decet

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin decens.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Adjective

decent m (feminine singular decenta, masculine plural decents, feminine plural decentas)

1. decent

Derived terms

• decentament

Related terms

• decéncia

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French décent, from Latin decens.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deˈt͡ʃent/

Adjective

decent m or n (feminine singular decentă, masculine plural decenți, feminine and neuter plural decente)

1. decent

Declension

Further reading

• decent in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)