decent facility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decent facility" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a place or service that meets a satisfactory standard, often in terms of cleanliness, amenities, or overall quality. Example: "The hotel we stayed at had a decent facility, making our visit comfortable and enjoyable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Like many volunteers, I often felt overwhelmed and ineffective; it took two years of diligent study just to gain a decent facility with the Chinese language.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

There are patients who would recover in any hospital with decent facilities.

Independent

Are there decent facilities, will little ones be safe running around, will there be enough to keep everyone happy?

Independent

You can only wonder what we would've done if we'd had proper funding and decent facilities.

The Guardian - Sport

Bagatelle is a traditional French campsite with masses of atmosphere, decent facilities including a shop and bar, and plenty of shade.

The Guardian - Travel

Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of Britain's Exeter University, says his university spent £470m in 2009-14, raised from donations, borrowing, the government and its own cash, on getting the campus up to scratch: students paying fat fees expect decent facilities.

The Economist

Geoghegan outlines: "The biggest problems are the aggression in the game, and a lot of that stems from parents on the sidelines, the financial strain without the proper support of the football authorities and the lack of decent facilities.

The Guardian - Sport

What the Novotel Thalassa Oleron Saint Trojan lacks in bijou charm, it makes up for with a fab location right on the beach, great-value family rooms with terraces or balconies, and decent facilities.

The Guardian - Travel

In defiance of the wilderness-focused, camp-on-a-whim ethos promoted in the brochures, it seems the typical British motorhomer – a clear majority in every Caravan Club place we stayed at – finds a well-run site with decent facilities and parks up for a fortnight.

The Guardian - Travel

In Germany the club verein, or association, is a central feature of social life, and most sports clubs tend to be well organised, with decent facilities compared with the many British amateur sports clubs living hand-to-mouth and the rundown state of many local authority football pitches.

The Guardian - Sport

"Imagine if schools had the educational resources children need to thrive, like smaller classes and individualized instruction, plentiful, up-to-date materials and technology anchored to that rich curriculum, decent facilities, an early start for toddlers and a nurturing atmosphere," she says.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a place or service, use "decent facility" to indicate that it meets a satisfactory standard but is not necessarily exceptional. For example, "The library offers a decent facility for students to study and research."

Common error

Avoid using "decent facility" when you want to express that a place is outstanding or exceptional. "Decent" implies a satisfactory but not remarkable level of quality. If the facility is truly impressive, use adjectives like "excellent", "state-of-the-art", or "superb" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decent facility" functions primarily as a noun phrase modified by an adjective. As Ludwig suggests, it describes a place or service that meets a satisfactory standard. The phrase is used to convey that something is adequate or acceptable without necessarily being exceptional.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "decent facility" is a grammatically sound way to describe a place or service that meets a satisfactory standard. According to Ludwig, it’s more neutral than overtly positive. Ludwig analysis indicates it is used across various contexts, particularly in news, business, and scientific domains. While not exceptionally frequent, understanding its nuance is useful for precise communication. When aiming for higher impact, consider alternative adjectives that more closely align with the intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

adequate establishment

Replaces 'decent' with 'adequate', suggesting a basic level of acceptability, and 'facility' with 'establishment', implying a more formal setting.

satisfactory place

Emphasizes satisfaction with the facility, using 'satisfactory' instead of 'decent' and the more general term 'place'.

acceptable venue

Focuses on the venue's acceptability, replacing 'decent' with 'acceptable' and 'facility' with 'venue', which is suitable for events or gatherings.

reasonable location

Highlights the suitability of the location, substituting 'decent' with 'reasonable', implying fairness or appropriateness.

serviceable infrastructure

Focuses on the functional aspect of the facility, replacing 'decent facility' with 'serviceable infrastructure', often used in a more technical context.

suitable amenity

Replaces "facility" with "amenity", denoting a feature that provides comfort or convenience, and "decent" with "suitable", which underscores appropriateness.

passable setup

Uses 'passable' to indicate something that is just good enough and 'setup' as a more casual term for facility.

tolerable location

This alternative focuses on the location not being too bad, replacing "decent" with "tolerable".

functional area

Emphasizes the practical purpose of the space, using "functional" instead of "decent" to emphasize the area is able to work as intended.

usable space

Highlights the ability to use the location for some purpose, indicating that it is good enough to be used.

FAQs

How can I use "decent facility" in a sentence?

You can use "decent facility" to describe a place or service that meets a satisfactory standard. For example: "The hotel offered a "decent facility", making our stay comfortable."

What can I say instead of "decent facility"?

You can use alternatives such as "adequate establishment", "satisfactory place", or "acceptable venue" depending on the context.

Is "decent facility" formal or informal?

"Decent facility" is relatively neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though alternatives like "adequate establishment" might be more appropriate for formal settings.

Which is correct, "decent facility" or "good facility"?

Both "decent facility" and "good facility" are correct, but "decent" implies a satisfactory standard, while "good" suggests a higher level of quality. The choice depends on the specific level of quality you want to convey.