different between decent vs seemly

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

Etymology

From Middle English semely, semelich, semelike, from Old Norse sœmiligr (“seemly”); equivalent to seem +? -ly. Cognate with Icelandic sæmilegur (“seemly, passable”), Danish sømmelig (“seemly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?si?mli/

Adjective

seemly (comparative seemlier, superlative seemliest)

1. (of behavior) Appropriate; suited to the occasion or purpose; becoming.

   His behavior was seemly, as befits a gentleman.

   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     Suspense of judgment and exercise of charity were safer and seemlier for Christian men than the hot pursuit of these controversies.

Synonyms

• apposite

Antonyms

• unseemly

Derived terms

• seemlihead
• seemlily
• seemliness

Translations

Adverb

seemly (comparative more seemly, superlative most seemly)

1. Appropriately, fittingly.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.i:

     The great earthes wombe they open to the sky, / And with sad Cypresse seemely it embraue [...].

Anagrams

• Mesley, Semley