What does indecency mean?
Indecency is a formal noun for conduct, speech, images, or other material regarded as morally objectionable, especially when it is sexually explicit or violates accepted standards of propriety. It can also refer to the condition of being indecent, although that older, abstract sense is less common. In everyday discussion, the word carries a strongly condemnatory tone and implies a breach of public or moral standards rather than mere unconventionality. Legal and regulatory contexts use it more technically, especially in phrases such as “an act of indecency” and “indecency laws.” Because obscenity has a narrower legal definition, the two words are related but not interchangeable. The term is common in formal English in Britain and the United States, with no major regional difference. Indecency is useful when the issue is improper or shocking behavior rather than a precise category under obscenity law; where legal precision matters, a more specific term may be preferable.
nounBehavior, speech, imagery, or material considered morally objectionable, especially because it is obscene or sexually explicit; also, lack of decency or propriety.
- Behavior, speech, imagery, or material regarded as morally objectionable, especially because it is obscene or sexually explicit.
- The condition of being indecent; a lack of decency or propriety.
"The broadcasting regulator found that the programme had encouraged indecency and contempt for public morality."
"The statute treats indecency in public as a punishable offence."
"Her novel was accused of literary indecency, although the complaint focused on its sexual material."
The standard plural is uncommon and is most likely to occur when referring to several distinct instances of indecent conduct.
"The report documented several indecencies that the authorities had previously overlooked."
From the Latin sense of “not fitting or proper,” indecency began as a discussion of propriety before becoming a blunt moral accusation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does indecency come from?
Indecency was formed in English in the early 17th century from indecent and the suffix -cy. It ultimately continues Latin indecentia, meaning “impropriety” or “indecency,” derived from indecens, “unbecoming, improper,” formed with the negative prefix in- from decens, “fitting, proper.” The same Latin family produced decent, decency, and indecent, preserving the root notion of what is fitting or becoming.
Related word forms
How indecency is actually used
The word is formal and usually condemnatory, indicating a breach of moral or social standards rather than merely unconventional behavior. It is often broader than obscenity, which has a more specific legal meaning. British and American usage are substantially the same.