different between decorous vs solemn

English

Etymology

From Latin dec?rus (“seemly, becoming”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?d?k???s/

Adjective

decorous (comparative more decorous, superlative most decorous)

1. Marked by proper behavior.
   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, chapter V, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 3rd edition, London: J. Jonson, published 1796, section III, pages 219–220:

     The narrow path of truth and virtue inclines neither to the right nor left—it is a ?traightforward bu?ine?s, and they who are earne?tly pur?uing their road, may bound over many decorous prejudices, without leaving mode?ty behind.

   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 61,^[1]

     There came a day when the round of decorous pleasures and solemn gaieties in which Mr. Jos Sedley’s family indulged was interrupted by an event which happens in most houses.

   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 43

     But who can fathom the subtleties of the human heart? Certainly not those who expect from it only decorous sentiments and normal emotions.

   • 1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, Part One, Chapter 1^[2]

     The green eyes in the carefully sweet face were turbulent, willful, lusty with life, distinctly at variance with her decorous demeanor.

Antonyms

• indecorous

Related terms

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English solempne, solemne (“performed with religious ceremony or reverence; devoted to religious observances, sacred; ceremonious, formal; of a vow: made under a religious sanction, binding; religious celebration, celebration of a feast day; famous, well-known; important; grand, imposing; awe-inspiring, impressive; grave, serious; dignified; enunciated or held formally”) [and other forms], from Old French solempne, solemne (“serious, solemn”) [and other forms], or from its etymon Late Latin s?lempnis, s?lennis, from Latin s?lemnis, from sollemnis (“appointed, established, fixed; common, customary, ordinary, ritual, traditional, usual; ceremonial, religious, solemn; festive; annual, yearly”) [and other forms]. The further etymology is uncertain; sollus (“entire, whole”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *solh?- (“whole”)) + epulum (“banquet, feast”) (in the sense of a ritual; perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h?ed- (“to eat”)) has been suggested.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?l?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?l?m/
• Hyphenation: sol?emn

Adjective

solemn (comparative solemner or more solemn, superlative solemnest or most solemn)

1. (religion, specifically Christianity) Of or pertaining to religious ceremonies and rites; (generally) religious in nature; sacred.
2. (by extension)
   1. Characterized by or performed with appropriate or great ceremony or formality.
   2. Deeply serious and sombre; grave.

      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:serious

      Antonyms: lighthearted, unserious

   3. Inspiring serious feelings or thoughts; sombrely impressive.

      Synonym: awe-inspiring

   4. (obsolete) Cheerless, gloomy, sombre.

      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cheerless

      Antonyms: cheerful; see also Thesaurus:blissful

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• solemnity on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• solemn (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Lemnos, Melson, Selmon, Smolen, lemons, losmen, melons, nmoles

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sollemnis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so?lemn/

Adjective

solemn m or n (feminine singular solemn?, masculine plural solemni, feminine and neuter plural solemne)

1. solemn, grave, serious
2. impressive, exalted
3. festive, celebratory

Declension

Synonyms

• (grave): grav, serios
• (festive): festiv, s?rb?toresc

Related terms

• solemnitate