Decency
What it means
Basic moral regard shown through fair, kind, and respectful conduct.
Reach for it when praising humane behavior that should be ordinary but still matters
Decency moved the shopkeeper to replace the lost medicine without charge.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
|
-
everyday
Fits when honoring another person's worth or boundaries is central
Careful Respect may remain an attitude, whereas decency is usually visible in conduct.
-
warm
Fits when awareness of suffering leads the response
Careful Compassion addresses hardship specifically and is narrower than general decent conduct.
-
warm
Fits when active care for another person is the main virtue
Careful Kindness can exceed what duty requires, while decency often names a basic moral standard.
-
professional
Fits when courteous public behavior keeps disagreement workable
Careful Polite civility can coexist with unfairness, so it does not guarantee decency.
-
professional
Fits when equal or impartial treatment is the evidence
Careful Fair rules can be applied without the humane warmth associated with decency.
-
formal
Fits when consistency with moral principles is being assessed
Careful Integrity is a stronger whole-character claim than one decent action supports.
Opposites 3
- cruelty
- indecency
- unfairness
Common phrases 3
-
basic decency
Basic decency required giving the family time to collect their belongings.
-
human decency
Her appeal to human decency changed the council's tone.
-
act of decency
Returning the envelope unopened was a simple act of decency.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated