de·cen·cy

(dē′sən-sē)

n. pl. de·cen·cies

1. The state or quality of being decent; propriety.

2. Conformity to prevailing standards of propriety or modesty.

3. decencies

a. Social or moral proprieties.

b. Surroundings or services deemed necessary for an acceptable standard of living.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

decencies

(ˈdiːsənsɪz)

pl n

1. the decencies those things that are considered necessary for a decent life

2. standards of behaviour considered correct by polite society; proprieties

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

To live no longer with the decencies even of a private gentleman!

View in context

A recent trip to the employee kitchen piqued my curiosity about workplace decencies. A note on the refrigerator read, "Whoever ate my lunch, please refrain from doing so in the future." Hmmm.

Workplace decencies

Steve has written a short but first-rate volume, The Managers' Book of Decencies; he develops and illustrates the argument that small decencies build the corporate culture.

Martyn Sloman: this month, Martyn Sloman reflects on the joys of being an author--and how a little decency goes a long way

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