Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “decent” come from?

Decent comes from Middle French décent, meaning respectable or appropriate in behavior or appearance.

decent (English): Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances;...

Definitions

  1. Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances;...

Ancestry of “decent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdécent—
2Latindecēns—
3Latindecetit adorns; it is decent, suitable, seemly, or...
4Proto-Italicdekēōfit, be right
5Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive

Words derived from “decent”

  • indecent
  • decently
  • indecently
  • undecent
  • decentish
  • undecently
  • decentness
  • dece
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deḱ- →