Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
decorous, decent (adjs.)
Pronounced DEK-uhr-uhs (or, rarely, di-KOR-uhs) and DEE-sint, both words mean “respectable, with propriety,” but decorous also means “showing good taste, fitting, well-mannered,” while decent also means “acceptable, sufficient, or adequate,” as in a decent salary or a decent room; “proper, appropriate, fitting,” as in a decent black dress; “morally sound,” as in a decent home or a decent burial; or “wearing enough clothes or sufficient to meet standards of moral decency.” This specialized sense (Are you decent? May I come in?) should be limited to Conversational and Informal use; the other senses are fully Standard.
