Decorum means presenting oneself appropriately for a given circumstance. It involves good taste, manners, and etiquette. In rhetoric, it means using appropriate words for the subject, audience, occasion, and speaker. Its assessment is subjective and can vary depending on the context.
Decorum is essentially the proper way of presenting something for a given circumstance. The word has definitions for everyday use and a specific definition related to the field of rhetoric. In ordinary usage, the word decorum basically means good taste and appropriate propriety in both dress and behavior. In the field of rhetoric, it is the practice of ensuring that the words used are appropriate for the subject, the audience being addressed, the occasion, and the person speaking the words. Overall, the word means to be presented in a way that suits the given occasion.
The word decorum originates in Latin, deriving from words like decor and decorus which have to do with beauty or what is pleasing to the senses. In ordinary English, the word is used to mean the proper conventions of dress and conduct required in specific situations. For example, anyone who sees the opera is expected to have a particularly high standard of decorum.
Most of the time, the use of the word in modern English is primarily synonymous with good manners and well presented. The rules of decorum can be thought of as the rules of etiquette, which tend to be different for different situations but are generally intended to show respect for the host and other guests present in any formal situation. If someone is unaware of these codes, he is said to have “no sense of propriety”.
Ancient Greek rhetoricians also created a specific definition for the term decorum. Meaning is closely related to modern meaning, but is specifically related to the field of argument and debate. The words used in a discussion should be suitable for the topic under discussion and the person discussing them, as well as being appropriate for the circumstances, occasion and audience being addressed.
It is generally thought that if rhetorical decorum is achieved, the subject will be well received by those present. Rhetorical “vices” are violations of the decency required to present an argument in writing and orally and will result in an unfavorable reception. Many of these vices have been identified in the study of rhetoric. However, decorum relies heavily on its appropriateness for a particular context or audience, so its assessment can be quite subjective. What may be viewed as a vice in one situation may be entirely appropriate in another.
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