Undecency

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute of displaying inappropriate or offensive behavior is often linked to a lack of societal decorum and moral standards
2. The quality of actions or speech that violate accepted moral or social standards in a way that causes offense
3. Conduct or language that is considered morally or socially inappropriate due to its offensive or crude nature

Etymology: "Undecency" is a plain formation: the prefix "un-" attached to "decency," meaning the opposite of decency. Both parts are long established in English, with "decency" coming from Latin "decentia," a term for fitness or propriety, and the prefix "un-" being native Old English. Because the combination is transparent, the word carries the meaning its parts suggest, namely a state or quality of indecency rather than a special sense of its own.

Synonyms: indecency, impropriety

Antonyms: decency, propriety