Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Characterized by conformity to recognized standards of propriety or morality.
- adj. Free from indelicacy; modest.
- adj. Meeting accepted standards; adequate: a decent salary.
- adj. Morally upright; respectable.
- adj. Kind or obliging: very decent of them to lend you money.
- adj. Informal Properly or modestly dressed.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Becoming, fit, or suitable in words, behavior, dress, etc.; proper; seemly; decorous.
- Specifically Proper with regard to modesty; free from indelicacy; conformable to some standard of modesty.
- Moderate; respectable; fair; tolerable; passable; good enough: as, a decent fortune; he made a very decent appearance.
Wiktionary
- adj. obsolete Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
- adj. of a person Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
- adj. Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen.
- adj. Fair; good enough; okay.
- adj. Significant; substantial.
- adj. obsolete Comely; shapely; well-formed.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Suitable in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; seemly.
- adj. Free from immodesty or obscenity; modest.
- adj. Archaic Comely; shapely; well-formed.
- adj. Moderate, but competent; sufficient; hence, respectable; fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying
WordNet 3.0
- adj. decently clothed
- adj. sufficient for the purpose
- adj. according with custom or propriety
- adj. observing conventional sexual mores in speech or behavior or dress
- adv. in the right manner
- adj. conforming to conventions of sexual behavior
- adj. socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
Etymologies
- From Middle French décent, or its source, Latin decēns, present participle of decet ("it is fitting or suitable"), from Proto-Indo-European *deke-, from base *dek- (“to take, accept, to receive, greet, be suitable”) (compare Ancient Greek δοκεῖν (dokein, "to appear, seem, think"), δέχεσθαι (dekhesthai, "to accept"); Sanskrit dacasyati ("shows honor, is gracious"), dacati ("makes offerings, bestows")). Meaning kind, pleasant is from 1902. (Wiktionary)
- Latin decēns, decent-, present participle of decēre, to be fitting; see dek- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Old alligators -- one couldn't call you men, and it's enough to make decent men squirm that you should be at large and be called by the same name -- can act like you and yet be considered respectable, but this is to show you what _decent_ women think of your likes, and their spirits are with us in armies to-night in what we are doing.”
“decent people" advisedly, for those who bring this kind of suit _are decent_, wishing to act honorably and kindly, and carrying out the always difficult severing of the marriage bond with as little pain as possible.”
Women's Wild Oats Essays on the Re-fixing of Moral Standards
“Astellas, which trades at below five times its earnings before interest, has bought back about 20% of its stock in the past seven years, Mr. de Lardemelle said, and has what he called a decent pipeline of drug development.”
The Wall Street Journal: Long in the Doldrums, Japan May be Poised to Bounce Back
“People ought to be cremated in what she calls decent privacy.”
“I am glad to hear that Peter B is happy with what he call a decent organisation, its nice to know that out of the multitude of unhappy residents that at least a few are getting some service, just check this blog to see how the numbers stack up.”
“Foodfreak said... on now that's what I call a decent pastry - sounds delicious and is very pretty!”
“KOCH: And also of concern that to crack down on this insurgency, the new government is planning to bring back what it calls decent members of Saddam Hussein's army and police force.”
“In Baerlon, after her father died, her aunts had tried to make her into what they called a decent proper woman, though maybe her Aunt Miren had understood that after ten years running about the mines in boys 'clothes, it might be too late to stuff her into dresses.”
“He said I ought to insist on them having what he called decent attire.”
“Does he never paint what they call decent people?" he inquired.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘decent’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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POL - campaign tokenisms
Positive words and vague promises. THE words and expressions to use when you want to win over the masses or just don't know what to say.
"CAPITAL" stands for the administrative capital...grow, greatest country, greatest, grow the economy, great nation, great decisions, great, government, great NATIONAL su..., good times, good job, good and generous... and 751 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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Twitter favorites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favorite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
grabbable, retuiteando, leaving, fantastic, absolutely, kurwa, hella, ridic, underpass, hate, interlude, plush and 2369 more... -
Twitter favourites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favourite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
bumwank, calamity, recalcitrant, gayenese, jeeze, nonsense, flabbergasted, juxtapose, procrastinating, ossanity, biffing, loser and 1972 more... -
Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
contemplate, container, consumer, consultant, consensus, conscious, conscience, connection, confusion, confront, conflict, confident and 4334 more...
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The History of Cool
Words that mean "cool" around the world and through the ages.
cool, awesome, wild, stylin', groovy, neat, nifty, swell, great, tubular, radical, bitchin' and 188 more...
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Whatever Works (2009)
Words from 2009 'Whatever Works' film.
fault, racket, unto, flaw, fallacious, notion, decent, embalm, filch, delusion, delusions of gran..., grandeur and 135 more...
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The things they carried (List 2)
Listening to this as an audio book for the second time. Tim O'Brien uses simple words and phrases to great effect. Very few unfamilar and big words . The writing style reminds me of words from Joh...
The, Things, They, Carried, meant, fond, By necessity,, presented to him, far beyond, against the brick..., reaching, taut and 2940 more...
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yudicat's list
wordsIlove
metallic, consequence, obligation, the edge of my la..., steep, baby wings, indifference, thumb, youngblood, coleen, libertine, asunder and 15 more...
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Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Words from 2008 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' film.
decent, delve, snorkel, balmy, linen, fiery, stroll, beat around the bush, reluctant, galling, subterfuge, candid and 44 more...
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English In Use
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first ones
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2013-01-15
Tweets
Looking for tweets for decent.
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