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able in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; seemly; as, decent conduct; decent language. Shak. Before his decent steps. Milton.

The action of decentralizing, or the state of being decentralized. "The decentralization of France." J. P. Peters.

To prevent from centralizing; to cause to withdraw from the center or place of concentration; to divide and distribute (what has been united or concentrated); -- esp. said of authority, or the administration of public affairs.

Not decent; unfit to be seen or heard; offensive to modesty and delicacy; as, indecent language. Cowper.

In an indecent manner.

Indecent. [Obs.]

Worthy of being commended or praised; laudable; praiseworthy. Order and decent ceremonies in the church are not only comely but commendable. Bacon. -- Com*mend"a*ble*ness, n. -- Com*mend"a*bly, adv.

The quality or state of being decent, suitable, or becoming, in words or behavior; propriety of form in social intercourse, in actions, or in discourse; proper formality; becoming ceremony; seemliness; hence, freedom from obscenity or indecorum; modesty. Observances of time, place, and of decency in general. Burke. Imm…

To withdraw from concentration; to decentralize. [R.]

Dishonorable; shameful; indecent; unchaste; lewd. [Obs.] Inglorious triumphs and dishonest scars. Pope. Speak no foul or dishonest words before them [the women]. Sir T. North.

In a low or the lowest position, literally or figuratively; at the bottom of a decent; below the horizon; of the ground; in a condition of humility, dejection, misery, and the like; in a state of quiet. I was down and out of breath. Shak. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. Shak. He that is down needs fear no…

aps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. Bryant. All the decent drapery of life is to be rudely torn off. Burke. Casting of draperies. See under Casting. The casting of draperies . . . is one of the most important of an artist's studies. Fairholt.

To make gestures; to gesticulate. The players . . . gestured not undecently withal. Holland.

Decent; orderly. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. -- adv.

Gross; indelicate; indecent. [Obs.] Marston.

To romp rudely or indecently. Swift.

Decent; honorable; suitable; becoming. Chaucer. Belong what honest clothes you send forth to bleaching! Shak.

Honorably; becomingly; decently. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Decently; becomingly. [Obs.] "Do this message honorably." Shak.

Not modest; wanting in the reserve or restraint which decorum and decency require; indecent; indelicate; obscene; lewd; as, immodest persons, behavior, words, pictures, etc. Immodest deeds you hinder to be wrought, But we proscribe the least immodest thought. Dryden.