How to say "decency" in Japanese

• 世間体せけんていCommon
  nounCovers decency as social respectability: behaving so as to keep up appearances in the eyes of society. The concern is outward propriety—what other people will think—rather than one's own moral principles.
  彼かれは世間体せけんていを気きにしない。↗

  He has no regard to appearance.
• 義理ぎりJLPT N1approx.Common
  no-adjectiveCovers decency as moral duty: the sense of obligation and honor that leads one to do what is owed to others. Choose it when 'decency' means acting properly toward people, not keeping up appearances.
  義理ぎりだけの拍手はくしゅをもらう。↗

  It was just polite applause.

Use 世間体 when 'decency' means social respectability—keeping up appearances in the eyes of others—and 義理 when it means moral duty, doing what honor and obligation require toward other people.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 世間体せけんていappearance (in the eyes of society)
• 義理ぎりduty
• ディセンシーdecency
• 体裁ていさいappearances
• 具合ぐあいface