decorum
Meaning: Behaviour or conduct that is dignified, polite, and in keeping with accepted standards of propriety, especially in formal or public settings.
Decorum refers to the unwritten rules of dignified conduct that govern formal settings — parliamentary debate, court proceedings, ceremonial occasions. A breach of decorum occurs when someone behaves inappropriately for the context. The word carries distinctly British associations with propriety and restraint. Common collocations include 'sense of decorum,' 'breach of decorum,' 'parliamentary decorum,' and 'maintain decorum.' The adjective 'decorous' is the related form.
Examples
- The Speaker intervened to restore decorum after several members began shouting across the chamber. 在数名议员隔着议事厅大声叫喊后,议长介入以恢复秩序。El presidente de la Cámara intervino para restablecer el decoro después de que varios diputados empezaran a gritar de un lado a otro del hemiciclo.複数の議員が議場を挟んで怒鳴り合った後、議長が介入して秩序を回復した。여러 의원이 의회 본회의장에서 고함을 지르기 시작하자 의장이 개입하여 질서를 회복했다.
- A sense of decorum prevented her from raising the issue at such a public occasion. 礼仪感使她没有在如此公开的场合提出那个问题。El sentido del decoro le impidió plantear el asunto en una ocasión tan pública.礼節の感覚が、彼女にそのような公の場でその問題を持ち出すことを思いとどまらせた。예의에 대한 감각이 그녀로 하여금 그토록 공개적인 자리에서 그 문제를 제기하지 못하게 했다.
- The ceremony was conducted with the decorum and solemnity befitting a state funeral. 典礼以与国葬相称的庄重与肃穆进行。La ceremonia se llevó a cabo con el decoro y la solemnidad propios de un funeral de Estado.式典は国葬にふさわしい品位と厳粛さをもって執り行われた。식전은 국장에 걸맞은 품위와 엄숙함으로 거행되었다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: politics, institutional, journalism
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin decorum (that which is seemly), the neuter form of decorus (seemly, proper), from decor (beauty, elegance). Entered English in the 16th century, initially as a term in rhetoric for appropriateness of style.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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