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Dignity vs Propriety - What's the difference?

dignity | propriety |

In obsolete terms the difference between dignity and propriety

is that dignity is fundamental principle; axiom; maxim while propriety is more generally, something owned by someone; a possession.

As nouns the difference between dignity and propriety

is that dignity is a quality or state worthy of esteem and respect while propriety is the particular character or essence of someone or something; individuality.

dignity

English

(wikipedia dignity)

Noun

(dignities)
  • A quality or state worthy of esteem and respect.
  • * 1752 , (Henry Fielding), , I. viii
    • He uttered this ... with great majesty, or, as he called it, dignity .
  • * 1981 , African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights , art. 5
    • Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being.
  • * 2008 , Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology (ECNH) [Switzerland]
    • 'The dignity' of living beings with regard to plants: Moral consideration of plants for their own sake', 3: ... the ECNH has been expected to make proposals from an ethical perspective to concretise the constitutional term ' dignity of living beings with regard to plants. Dignity of Plants
  • Decorum, formality, stateliness.
  • * 1934 , Aldous Huxley, "Puerto Barrios", in Beyond the Mexique Bay :
    • Official DIGNITY tends to increase in inverse ratio to the importance of the country in which the office is held.Columbia World of Quotations 1996.
  • High office, rank, or station.
  • * 1781 , Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , F. III. 231:
    • He ... distributed the civil and military dignities among his favourites and followers.
  • * Macaulay
    • And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?
  • One holding high rank; a dignitary.
  • * Bible, Jude 8.
    • These filthy dreamers speak evil of dignities .
  • (obsolete) Fundamental principle; axiom; maxim.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
    • Sciences concluding from dignities , and principles known by themselves.

    Synonyms

    * worth * worthiness

    Coordinate terms

    * augustness, humanness, nobility, majesty, grandeur, glory, superiority, wonderfulness

    Related terms

    * deign * dignified * dignify

    See also

    * affirmation * integrity * self-respect * self-esteem * self-worth

    References

    * *

    Anagrams

    *

    propriety

    English

    Noun

  • (obsolete) The particular character or essence of someone or something; individuality.
  • (obsolete) A characteristic; an attribute.
  • (obsolete) More generally, something owned by someone; a possession.
  • * 1723 , Charles Walker, Memoirs of the Life of Sally Salisbury :
    • I was fearful of giving You a very sensible Disgust, in making You'' seem the ''Propriety'' of ''one Man'', when You know Yourself ''ordained'' for the Comfort and Refreshment of ''Multitudes .
  • The fact of possessing something; ownership.
  • Suitability, fitness; the quality of being appropriate.
  • * 1773 ,
    • I find such a pleasure, sir, in obeying your commands, that I take care to observe them without ever debating their propriety .
  • * 1850 ,
    • Now, if we may, with propriety', refer to the people one question, why may we not, with equal ' propriety , refer another?
  • Correctness in behaviour and morals; good manners, seemliness.
  • * 1811 , (Jane Austen), :
    • Elinor then ventured to doubt the propriety of her receiving such a present from a man so little, or at least so lately known to her.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 27 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=The neighbor is eventually able to sell her home despite Homer’s pants-less affronts to propriety and decency and Bart falls deeply and instantly for one of its new inhabitants, a tough but charming and funny tomboy girl named Laura (voiced by Sara Gilbert) with just the right combination of toughness and sweetness, granite and honey.}}

    Related terms

    * proper

    References

    * "Propriety" at Dictionary.com