decorous
/ˈdɛkəɹəs/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.98 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "The narrovv path of truth and virtue inclines neither to the right nor left—it is a ſtraightforvvard buſineſs, and they vvho are earneſtly purſuing their road, may bound over many decorous prejudices, vvithout leaving modeſty behind."
- "[S]ome grumbling voice, / Which now and then will make a slight inroad / Upon decorous silence, […]"
- "There came a day when the round of decorous pleasures and solemn gaieties in which Mr. Jos Sedley’s family indulged, was interrupted by an event which happens in most houses."
- "On these beautiful moonlight nights, Rome appears to keep awake and stirring, though in a quiet and decorous way."
- "To this Defensio Wordsworth afterward added a supplement, and the two form a treatise of permanent value for philosophic statement and decorous English."
- "But who can fathom the subtleties of the human heart? Certainly not those who expect from it only decorous sentiments and normal emotions."
Etymology
From the following: * Latin decōrus (“becoming, fitting, proper, suitable”) + English -ous (suffix adjectives denoting presence of a quality in any degree, typically an abundance). Decōrus is derived from decor (“elegrance, grace; charm beauty”) + -us (suffix forming adjectives); and decor is from decēre, the present active infinitive of decet (“to adorn; to be decent; to be proper or suitable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to perceive; to take”). * Possibly also influenced by Late Latin decorōsus (“beautiful; elegant”), from decoris + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of’ forming adjectives from nouns). Decoris is the genitive singular of decus (“beauty, grace, ornament, splendour; distinction, glory, honour”), from Proto-Indo-European *déḱos (“that which is proper”), from *deḱ- (see above).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *deḱ-, decōrus, decorōsus, *déḱos
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdɛkəɹəs/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more decorous (comparative)
most decorous (superlative)