Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

dĕcens, entis, v. decet, P. a.

dĕcet, cuit, 2, v. impers. [Sanscr. dacas, fame; Gr. δοκέω, to seem, think; Lat. decus, dignus]. It is seemly, comely, becoming,; it beseems, behooves, is fitting, suitable, proper (for syn. v. debeo init.): decere quasi aptum esse consentaneumque tempori et personae, Cic. Or. 22, 74; cf. also nunc quid aptum sit, hoc est, quid maxime deceat in oratione videamus, id. de Or. 3, 55, 210 (very freq. and class.; not in Caes.).
Constr., with nom. or inf. of the thing, and with acc.; less freq. with dat. of the pers.; sometimes absol.

      1. a. With nom. rei
        1. (α) and acc. pers.: Ph. Quin me aspice et contempla, ut haec (sc. vestis) me decet. Sc. Virtute formae id evenit, te ut deceat, quicquid habeas, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 16 sq.; cf.: quem decet muliebris ornatus, quem incessus psaltriae, Cic. Clod. fragm. 5, p. 105 ed. Beier: te toga picta decet, Prop. 4, 4, 53 al.; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 30; Quint. 8, 5, 28; and nec habitus triumphalis feminas deceat, id. 11, 1, 3; cf.: omnis Aristippum color decuit, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 23: intonsus crinis deum, Tib. 1, 4, 38; cf.: neglecta decet multas coma, Ov. A. A. 3, 153; id. F. 2, 106 et saep.: id maxime quemque decet, quod est cujusque maxime suum, Cic. Off. 1, 31, 113: quod omnes et semper et ubique decet, Quint. 11, 1, 14: non si quid Pholoen satis, Et te, Chlori, decet, Hor. Od. 3, 15, 8 et saep.: qui flexus deceat miserationem, Quint. 1, 11, 12: civitatem quis deceat status, Hor. Od. 3, 29, 25 et saep.
          In plur.: quem tenues decuere togae nitidique capilli, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 32: te non citharae decent, id. Od. 3, 15, 14: alba decent Cererem: vestes Cerealibus albas Sumite, Ov. F. 4, 619; id. M. 1, 457 et saep.: nec velle experiri, quam se aliena deceant, Cic. Off. 1, 31, 113; Quint. 6, 1, 25: illa quoque diversa bonum virum decent, id. 11, 1, 42 et saep.: duo verba uni apposita ne versum quidem decuerint, id. 8, 6, 43.
        2. (β) Without acc. pers.: nihil est difficilius quam quid deceat videre, Cic. Or. 21, 70; cf.: quid deceat et quid aptum sit personis, id. Off. 1, 34 fin.: casus singularis magis decuit, Quint. 8, 3, 20; id. 11, 3, 161 et saep.: idem fere in omni genere causarum et proderit et decebit, id. 11, 1, 14; cf. id. 9, 4, 21.
          In plur.: ubi lepos, joci, risus, vinum, ebrietas decent, Plaut. Ps. prol. 20: cum magna pars est exhausta orationis, pene omnia decent, Quint. 11, 3, 147; 150; id. 11, 1, 48 et saep.
        3. (γ) With dat.: istuc facinus nostro generi non decet, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 188: certa est ratio quae deceat philosopho, Apul. Flor. 3, p. 355, 13; Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 34; cf. infra.
      2. b. With inf.
        1. (α) and acc. pers.: non te mihi irasci decet, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 24: hanc maculam nos decet effugere, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 31: oratorem irasci minime decet, Cic. Tusc. 4, 25; Quint. 12, 6, 3; Ov. M. 3, 265; so freq. with inf. pass.: specimen naturae capi debet ex optima quaque natura, Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 32: mortalin’ decuit violari vulnere divum? Verg. A. 12, 797; Ter. And. prol. 16.
        2. (β) Without acc.: injusta ab justis impetrare non decet, Plaut. Am. prol. 35: exemplis grandioribus decuit uti, Cic. Div. 1, 20; Ov. M. 8, 27: nunc decet caput impedire myrto: nunc et in umbrosis Fauno decet immolare lucis, Hor. Od. 1, 4, 9 sq.; id. Ep. 1, 17, 2; Pers. 3, 27.
        3. (γ) With dat.: decet tantae majestati eas servare leges, quibus, etc., Dig. 32, 1, 23: ita uti liberali esse ingenio decet, Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 89: prima certe pensari decet populo utrum, etc., Liv. 34, 58, 8.
      3. c. Absol.
        1. (α) with acc. pers.: ita ut vos decet, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 40; cf.: facis, ut te decet, Ter. Andr. 2, 5, 10; id. Heaut. 5, 5, 10: ita uti fortes decet milites, id. Eun. 4, 7, 44; cf.: id. Andr. 2, 6, 14: illum decet, Quint. 9, 4, 15 et saep.
        2. (β) Without case: eia haud sic decet, Ter. Eun. 5, 9, 35; cf. id. Hec. 2, 2, 10: fecisti ut decuerat, id. ib. 4, 4, 66: minus severe quam decuit, Cic. Phil. 6, 1: velata parte oris, quia sic decebat, it was becoming, Tac. A. 13, 45: nihil aliter ac deceat, id. Att. 6, 3, 8: perge; decet, Verg. A. 12, 153 et saep.
        3. (γ) With dat.: ita nobis decet, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 5; id. Heaut. 5, 2, 12: locum editiorem quam victoribus decebat, Sall. H. 1, 98 (Serv. Verg. A. 8, 127.)
          Hence, dĕcens, entis, P. a. (freq. in Hor., Ov., and post-Aug. prose, esp. Quint.; not in Verg.; in Cic. once adverbially, and cf. decentia), seemly, becoming, decent, proper, fit: amictus, Ov. Pont. 2, 5, 52; cf.: decentior amictus, Quint. 11, 3, 156; and sinus (togae) decentissimus, id. 11, 3, 140: ornatus, id. 2, 15, 21: motus, Hor. Od. 4, 13, 17; Quint. 1, 10, 26; cf.: corporis decens et accommodatus orationi motus, id. 11, 3, 29; and allevatio atque contractio humerorum, id. 11, 3, 83: decentissimum sponsalium genus, Sen. Ben. 1, 9 et saep.: quid verum atque decens, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 11: decentius erit servare pudorem, Quint. 11, 1, 78; cf. 8, 6, 6.
    1. 2. Esp. of corporeal fitness and symmetry, regularly, symmetrically, handsomely shaped; well-formed; noble: forma, Ov. Am. 3, 1, 9; cf.: habitus decentior quam sublimior, Tac. Agr. 44: facies, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 33: malae, Hor. Od. 3, 27, 53: Venus, id. ib. 1, 18, 6; cf.: Cynthia, Prop. 4, 8, 52 (5, 8, 52 M.): Gratiae, Hor. Od. 1, 4, 6: (Paullus) et nobilis et decens, id. ib. 4, 1, 13: pulcher et decens toto corpore, Suct. Dom. 18; cf. Juv. 6, 161: sumptis decentior armis Minerva, Ov. H. 5, 35; Quint. 8, 3, 10 et saep.
      Adv.: decenter (acc. to no. 1), becomingly, decently, properly, fitly: fictis nominibus decenter uti, Plin. Ep. 6, 21, 5; cf.: fieri, Quint. 11, 1, 79: singula quaeque locum teneant sortita decenter, Hor. A. P. 92; cf.: maesta, Ov. Am. 2, 5, 44.
      Comp.: Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 216; Quint. 9, 1, 21 al.
      Sup., a false reading for diligentissime, Cic. Caes. 26, 74.