Decorous
Decorous adjective - Following the established traditions of refined society and good taste.
Usage example: we were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event
Formal is a synonym for decorous in appropriate topic. In some cases you can use "Formal" instead an adjective "Decorous".
Formal
Formal adjective - Following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules.
Usage example: a formal contract that was legally binding
Decorous is a synonym for formal in stiff topic. You can use "Decorous" instead an adjective "Formal", if it concerns topics such as established.
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- But appearing decorous in public usually entailed a dress or full skirt, on more formal occasions accessorised with a hat and white gloves — though by the end of the decade this was more associated with older, rather fussy upper-class ladies.
Source: Useful Notes / The Fifties
Cite this Source
Formal and Decorous. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/decorous/formal
Decorous & Formal. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/decorous/formal>.
Formal or Decorous. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/decorous/formal.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "decorous" and "formal" have occurred on timeline