Decent
adj, noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 1 Misspelling of descent. alt-of, misspelling
- 1 Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
- 2 Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
- 3 Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen. informal
"Are you decent? May I come in?"
- 4 Fair; acceptable; okay.
"He's a decent saxophonist, but probably not good enough to make a career of it."
- 5 Significant; substantial.
"There are a decent number of references out there, if you can find them."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Conforming to perceived standards of good taste.
"I had a cup of tea - the last decent cup of tea for many days; and in a room that most soothingly looked just as you would expect a lady’s drawing-room to look, we had a long quiet chat by the fireside."
- 7 Comely; shapely; well-formed. obsolete
"And ſable ſtole of Cipres Lawn, Over thy decent ſhoulders drawn."
- 1 conforming to conventions of sexual behavior wordnet
- 2 meeting requirements wordnet
- 3 observing conventional sexual mores in speech or behavior or dress wordnet
- 4 sufficiently clothed to see visitors or appear in public wordnet
- 5 in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous wordnet
- 1 in the right manner; correctly; suitably wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Why don't you get yourself a decent house?"
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French décent, or its source, Latin decēns, present participle of decet (“it is fitting or suitable”), from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take, accept, to receive, greet, be suitable”) (compare Ancient Greek δοκέω (dokéō, “I appear, seem, think”), δέχομαι (dékhomai, “I accept”); Sanskrit दशस्यति (daśasyáti, “shows honor, is gracious”), दाशति (dāśati, “makes offerings, bestows”)). Meaning ‘kind, pleasant’ is from 1902.
Related phrases
More for "decent"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.