disciplinary
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of, promoting, or used for discipline; corrective
-
relating to a branch of learning
criticism that crosses disciplinary boundaries
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disciplinary
First recorded in 1575–85; discipline + -ary
Explanation
Anything disciplinary is meant to correct someone's bad behavior or punish them for doing something wrong. At many schools, the vice principal is in charge of disciplinary actions like detention. Many parents have disciplinary methods that include issuing time-outs, grounding teenagers for misbehavior, or withholding privileges like watching TV. The sentences and punishments handed down by judges in criminal courts and military tribunals are more serious disciplinary actions. In fact, the adjective disciplinary comes from a Latin root, disciplina, that means both "instruction given" and "military discipline."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He walked into that disciplinary process already legible.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
But the league forced Frank McCourt to sell the Dodgers in 2012 by exerting pressure and threatening a financial takeover or disciplinary action that would have stripped operational control.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
An independent commission is yet to publish a ruling, more than a year and a half after a disciplinary hearing concluded, and three and a half years since City were first charged.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
"In situations where soldiers fail to adhere to IDF orders, the incidents are thoroughly reviewed, and disciplinary actions are implemented accordingly", it added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“The commandant urged disciplinary action, but Dr. Hauptmann suggested that you would be eager to offer your skills to the Reich.”
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
