Synonym Chooser

How does the noun deportment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deportment are bearing, carriage, demeanor, manner, and mien. While all these words mean "the outward manifestation of personality or attitude," deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

When can bearing be used instead of deportment?

The synonyms bearing and deportment are sometimes interchangeable, but bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

When is carriage a more appropriate choice than deportment?

The words carriage and deportment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

In what contexts can demeanor take the place of deportment?

Although the words demeanor and deportment have much in common, demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

When is it sensible to use manner instead of deportment?

While the synonyms manner and deportment are close in meaning, manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

When could mien be used to replace deportment?

The meanings of mien and deportment largely overlap; however, mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deportment There were no deportment classes, no one telling me to stand, as my mother’s generation did, with my shoulders back and chest out. Thessaly La Force, Vogue, 18 Jan. 2024 She was bought from an orphanage at age 4 by a goldsmith and his wife, raised as a kind of pet with lessons in singing and dancing and deportment, and given charge of their second child, a daughter with multiple physical and mental challenges. Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023 The tweets probably won't discuss the leaders' deportment. Detroit Free Press, 28 May 2023 Regal deportment; swift, silent drivetrain. Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 2 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for deportment 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deportment
Noun
  • Surrender control over addiction and other negative behaviors to a higher power.
    Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
  • But even if that’s true, fans are justified to call out a response that normalizes Trump’s current behavior as if this were any other president.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Thomas’ confidence was, in many ways, a product of de Lannoy’s coaching, where his friendly and encouraging demeanor helped Thomas grow from a shy freshman to a vocal upperclassman.
    Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
  • But rather than raise alarm, her listless demeanor ends up dredging up difficult conversations with her mother (Betty Buckley), her friends (Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) and later still with a creepy, stalking neighbor (Clifton Collins Jr.).
    Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • At the same time, record global temperatures and California’s aggressive regulatory actions served as stark reminders of the urgency of balancing energy growth with sustainability.
    Robert Rapier, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • While the Supreme Court ruled in a very broad decision last term that the President has absolute immunity for official actions, that ruling does not apply to his subordinates throughout the executive branch.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near deportment

Cite this Entry

“Deportment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deportment. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on deportment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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