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Synonyms

disciplinary

American  
[dis-uh-pluh-ner-ee] / ˈdɪs ə pləˌnɛr i /

adjective

  1. of, for, or constituting discipline; enforcing or administering discipline.

    disciplinary action.
disciplinary British  
/ ˈdɪsɪˌplɪnərɪ /

adjective

  1. of, promoting, or used for discipline; corrective

  2. relating to a branch of learning

    criticism that crosses disciplinary boundaries
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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."

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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.

Here’s what the committee is trying to change: In North Carolina, the Disciplinary Hearing Committee of the state bar is currently composed of 26 members, including eight nonlawyers.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Disciplinary procedures were triggered and McGrath, of Biggleswade, resigned from Bonavia's office at about the same time as his resignation from the council.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

Disciplinary complaints against a lawyer actually have no statute of limitations, although the more time that elapses, the more difficult it will be to prove/investigate.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 2026

Disciplinary infractions remain part of an incarcerated individual’s permanent record and affect their chances of parole or resentencing.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025

Just this, that they are moving him to the Disciplinary Battalion; and it is you who are the cause of it.

From The Light Shines in Darkness by Maude, Aylmer

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.