Propriety vs Decent - What's the difference?
propriety | decent |
(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 :
The fact of possessing something; ownership.
Suitability, fitness; the quality of being appropriate.
* 1773 ,
* 1850 ,
Correctness in behaviour and morals; good manners, seemliness.
* 1811 , (Jane Austen), :
* {{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
(obsolete) Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
(of a person) Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen.
Fair; good enough; okay.
* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
, title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=Foreword Significant; substantial.
(obsolete) Comely; shapely; well-formed.
* A sable stole of cyprus lawn / Over thy decent shoulders drawn — Milton.
As a noun propriety
is (obsolete) the particular character or essence of someone or something; individuality.As an adjective decent is
decent (sufficiently clothed).propriety
English
Noun
- 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 .
- I find such a pleasure, sir, in obeying your commands, that I take care to observe them without ever debating their propriety .
- Now, if we may, with propriety', refer to the people one question, why may we not, with equal ' propriety , refer another?
- 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.
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.}}
References
*"Propriety" at Dictionary.com
decent
English
Adjective
(en adjective)citation, passage=A canister of flour from the kitchen had been thrown at the looking-glass and lay like trampled snow over the remains of a decent blue suit with the lining ripped out which lay on top of the ruin of a plastic wardrobe.}}