different between decent vs acceptable

English

Etymology

From Middle French décent, or its source, Latin dec?ns, present participle of decet (“it is fitting or suitable”), from Proto-Indo-European *de?- (“to take, accept, to receive, greet, be suitable”) (compare Ancient Greek ????? (doké?, “I appear, seem, think”), ??????? (dékhomai, “I accept”); Sanskrit ??????? (da?asyáti, “shows honor, is gracious”), ????? (d??ati, “makes offerings, bestows”)). Meaning ‘kind, pleasant’ is from 1902.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?di?s?nt/

Adjective

decent (comparative more decent, superlative most decent)

1. (obsolete) Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
2. (of a person) Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
3. (informal) Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen.

4. Fair; good enough; okay.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 35:

     And ‘blubbing’... Blubbing went out with ‘decent’ and ‘ripping’. Mind you, not a bad new language to start up. Nineteen-twenties schoolboy slang could be due for a revival.

5. Significant; substantial.

6. Conforming to percievied standards of good taste.
7. (obsolete) Comely; shapely; well-formed.

Synonyms

• (conforming suitably to moral standards): good, moral
• (good enough): adequate, satisfactory

Antonyms

• (conforming suitably to moral standards): bad, immoral
• (sufficiently clothed): indecent, underdressed
• (good enough): inadequate, poor, unsatisfactory

Related terms

• decency
• decently

Translations

Anagrams

• cedent

Romanian

Etymology

From French décent, from Latin decens.

Adjective

decent m or n (feminine singular decent?, masculine plural decen?i, feminine and neuter plural decente)

1. decent

Declension

English

Alternative forms

• acceptible (dated)

Etymology

From Middle English acceptable, from Old French acceptable, from Late Latin accept?bilis (“worthy of acceptance”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /æk.?s?p.t?.b?l/

Adjective

acceptable (comparative more acceptable, superlative most acceptable)

1. worthy, decent, sure of being accepted or received with at least moderate pleasure

2. Barely worthy, less than excellent; passable.

Antonyms

• unacceptable
• inacceptable

Derived terms

• acceptableness
• acceptably

Related terms

• acceptability

Translations

Further reading

• acceptable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• acceptable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• acceptable at OneLook Dictionary Search

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin accept?bilis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?k.s?p?ta.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ak.sep?ta.ble/
• Rhymes: -a?le

Adjective

acceptable (masculine and feminine plural acceptables)

1. acceptable

   Antonym: inacceptable

Derived terms

• acceptablement
• inacceptable

Further reading

• “acceptable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “acceptable” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “acceptable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “acceptable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Danish

Adjective

acceptable

1. definite singular of acceptabel
2. plural of acceptabel

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin accept?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ak.s?p.tabl/

Adjective

acceptable (plural acceptables)

1. acceptable

Antonyms

• inacceptable

Related terms

• accepter

Further reading

• “acceptable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Swedish

Adjective

acceptable

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of acceptabel.

Anagrams

• acceptabel