DE'CENCY, noun [Latin to be fit or becoming; Gr. to be good, or fit for.] 1. That which is fir, suitable or becoming, in words or behavior; propriety of form, in social intercourse, in actions or discourse; proper formality; becoming ceremony. It has a special reference to behavior; as decency of conduct; decency of worship. But it is used also in reference to speech; as, he discoursed with decency Those thousand decencies, that daily flow From all her words and actions. 2. Suitableness to character; propriety. 3. Propriety in speech; modesty; opposed to ribaldry, or obscenity. Want of decency is want of sense. It may be also used for propriety of speech, opposed to rudeness, or disrespectful language; and for propriety in dress, opposed to raggedness, exposure of nakedness, filthiness, etc.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI