Noun

the quality of being decent; propriety

* Burke

Observances of time, place, and of decency in general.

* Roscommon

Immodest words admit of no defence, / For want of decency is want of sense.

That which is proper or becoming.

* Atterbury

The external decencies of worship.

* Milton

Those thousand decencies , that daily flow / From all her words and actions.

Noun

(uncountable) relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another

(uncountable) forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.

(uncountable) A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion

(countable) Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.

A blessing, something to be thankful for.

(phrasal) Subjugation, power.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.}}