Meaning & use

decorous

adjective·Advanced

Behaving in a way that is polite, dignified, and appropriate for the occasion.

See it in a sentence

The guests remained perfectly decorous throughout the entire formal state dinner.

Her decorous manners impressed even her strictest and most demanding grandmother.

A note on using this word

Decorous relates to decorum, meaning socially correct behavior, and generally applies to formal or public conduct.

Words with a similar meaning

properdignifiedseemly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

improperindecorous

Make it your own

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