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Decency

Noun CEFR B1
ˈdiːsənsi

Definitions

  1. The quality of being decent; propriety.
  2. That which is proper or becoming.

Equivalents

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Examples

“Immodest words admit⟳ of no defence, / For want⟳ of decency is want⟳ of sense⟳.”
“Indeed it is for the moſt part in our ſkill in manners, and in the obſervances of time and place⟳, and of decency in general, which is only to be learned in thoſe ſchools to which Horace recommends us, that what is called Taſte by way of diſtinction, conſiſts; and which is in reality no other than a more refined judgment.”
“[To Joseph McCarthy:] Have⟳ you no sense⟳ of decency, sir? At long last⟳, have⟳ you left no sense⟳ of decency?”
“Now, what is interesting about that poem is nothing. But, what is relevant about it is that his muse is his wife, Marcela, who is 42 years younger than him. He is 75, she is 33. And I’ll say⟳ this, at least when 70-something American politicians get⟳ creepily handsy with 30-something women, they have⟳ the decency to do so with their own⟳ daughters. Have⟳ some class, Brazil! Have⟳ some class!”
“Those thousand decencies, that daily flow⟳ / From all her words and actions.”
“'Tis in the Civil Government, as in the Offices of Religion; which, were they ſtript of all the External Decencies of Worſhip, would not make⟳ a due Impreſſion on the Minds of thoſe who aſſiſt at them.”

CEFR level

B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
See all B1 English words →

See also

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