Standard Lemma guide

indecency

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈdiːsənsi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N D IY1 S AH0 N S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Lack of decency; the property or degree of being indecent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • One sure sign of indecency is criticizing foreigners constantly, but remaining silent about the problems within your own land, or by your own people, or both.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: immorality, unrightfulness, unseemliness, dishonour, improbity, impropriety, indecency, undecency, ungodliness, unhonour, unprobity, unpropriety, unrighteousness, unsaintliness, unuprightness, unvirtuousness, wickedness

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something showing lack of decency; something (such as a word) that is indecent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an indecent or improper act

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: impropriety

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: misbehavior, misbehaviour, misdeed

Narrower terms: obscenity

4

noun

Meaning 4

the quality of being indecent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: decency

Broader terms: impropriety, improperness

Narrower terms: immodesty, outrageousness, enormity, obscenity, lewdness, bawdiness, salaciousness, salacity

History

Etymology

From in- + decent + -cy.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: непрысто́йнасьць (njeprystójnasʹcʹ) — lack of decency
  • Belarusian: бессаро́мнасьць (bjessarómnasʹcʹ) — lack of decency
  • Bulgarian: непристойност (nepristojnost) — lack of decency
  • Catalan: indecència — lack of decency
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不雅 (bùyǎ) — lack of decency
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不得體 /不得体 (bù détǐ) — lack of decency
  • Chinese Mandarin: 猥褻 /猥亵 (wěixiè) — lack of decency
  • Finnish: sopimattomuus — lack of decency
  • Finnish: siveettömyys — lack of decency
  • Finnish: säädyttömyys — lack of decency
  • Finnish: räävittömyys — lack of decency
  • French: indécence — lack of decency
  • German: Unanständigkeit — lack of decency
  • German: Anstößigkeit — lack of decency
  • Italian: indecenza — lack of decency
  • Latin: indecēntia — lack of decency
  • Middle English: dishoneste — lack of decency
  • Polish: nieprzyzwoitość — lack of decency
  • Portuguese: indecência — lack of decency
  • Turkish: ahlaksızlık — lack of decency
  • Turkish: açık saçıklık — lack of decency
  • Volapük: nepued — lack of decency
  • Belarusian: непрысто́йнасьць (njeprystójnasʹcʹ) — something showing lack of decency
  • Catalan: indecència — something showing lack of decency
  • Chinese Mandarin: 猥褻之物 /猥亵之物 (wěixiè zhī wù) — something showing lack of decency
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不雅之事 (bùyǎ zhī shì) — something showing lack of decency
  • Finnish: sopimattomuus — something showing lack of decency
  • Finnish: siveettömyys — something showing lack of decency
  • Finnish: säädyttömyys — something showing lack of decency
  • Finnish: räävittömyys — something showing lack of decency
  • German: Unanständigkeit — something showing lack of decency
  • German: Anstößigkeit — something showing lack of decency
  • Portuguese: indecência — something showing lack of decency
Real reading context

indecency in complete knowledge articles

The Tale of the Demon in Xương Giang History & culture · Accessible · 1 uses