discipline
Americannoun
-
disciplines
plural
-
training to act in accordance with rules; drill.
military discipline.
-
an activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.
Sticking to specific and regular mealtimes is excellent discipline for many dieters.
-
a branch of instruction or learning.
the disciplines of history and economics.
-
punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
- Synonyms:
- castigation, chastisement
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the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc..
the harsh discipline of poverty.
-
behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control.
good discipline in an army.
-
a set or system of rules and regulations.
-
Ecclesiastical. the system of government regulating the practice of a church as distinguished from its doctrine.
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an instrument of punishment, especially a whip or scourge, used in the practice of self-mortification or as an instrument of chastisement in certain religious communities.
verb (used with object)
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disciplines,
present (3rd person singular)
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disciplined,
past participle, past
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disciplining
present participle
noun
-
training or conditions imposed for the improvement of physical powers, self-control, etc
-
systematic training in obedience to regulations and authority
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the state of improved behaviour, etc, resulting from such training or conditions
-
punishment or chastisement
-
a system of rules for behaviour, methods of practice, etc
-
a branch of learning or instruction
-
the laws governing members of a Church
-
a scourge of knotted cords
verb
-
to improve or attempt to improve the behaviour, orderliness, etc, of by training, conditions, or rules
-
to punish or correct
Synonym Usage
See punish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disciplinernoun
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multidisciplinenoun
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predisciplinenoun
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subdisciplinenoun
-
overdisciplineverb
-
redisciplineverb (used with object)
-
disciplinableadjective
-
disciplinaladjective
-
nondiscipliningadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disciplinesimple
-
disciplinessimple
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have disciplinedperfect
-
has disciplinedperfect
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am discipliningprogressive
-
are discipliningprogressive
-
is discipliningprogressive
-
have been discipliningperfect progressive
-
has been discipliningperfect progressive
Past
-
disciplinedsimple
-
had disciplinedperfect
-
was discipliningprogressive
-
were discipliningprogressive
-
had been discipliningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of discipline
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin disciplīna “instruction, tuition,” equivalent to discipul(us) “pupil, learner, trainee” + -ina noun suffix; see origin at disciple; see -ine 2
Explanation
When you have discipline, you have self-control. When you discipline children, you are either teaching them to be well-behaved, or you are punishing and correcting them. The origins of this word offer great clues about its current meanings. The Old French descepline referred to punishment and suffering. The Latin disciplina meant "teaching, learning." The Old English version referred to a branch of knowledge or field of study (so if you're really good at word origins, you might want to make etymology your discipline). Developing discipline as a form of training is a military concept that's more than 500 years old.
Vocabulary lists containing discipline
The Outsiders
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
“Equally troubling, the Department does not discipline deputies for statements made during the investigation to justify their actions when those statements are obviously inconsistent with clear video evidence.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Experienced officers and noncommissioned officers should teach these skills, set a standard for discipline and require cadets to meet it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
There’s a lot to be said for the discipline of “Joe Six-Pack,” as the mortgage loan officer described him, who earns less but saves and eventually buys a home.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
The SNP public finance minister is recruiting a Shetland-based creative, of any discipline, to engage with the community and deliver projects reflecting policy priorities.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
For an Aristotelian, there is only one discipline that isolates efficient causes and structures and ignores all others, and that discipline is mechanics.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
In quantitative finance, where many of the highest-paying internships are concentrated, experience arguably matters less than in most other disciplines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Interdisciplinary programs will integrate artificial intelligence, computing, and machine learning alongside CMU’s humanities, fine arts and design disciplines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Understanding exactly what was happening during the reaction required researchers from several scientific disciplines and the use of multiple advanced analytical techniques.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
"The type of research that FQxI is encouraging brings teams together across generations, across boundaries, across disciplines," says Curceanu.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
California’s Education Code, the set of laws and regulations that govern K-12 education in the nation’s most populous state, calls on all schools to offer courses in four arts disciplines: music, visual, theater, and dance.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
The Sheriff’s Department has said that it cited Barraza for failing to deploy de-escalation tactics before using force and that it disciplined a sergeant for failures during the assessment after the incident.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The audit said the state agency’s leadership disciplined the officer but did not provide any details.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
"We are a team that is very disciplined," said Mounie.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
“The transaction delivers on our clear stated growth strategy as we seek to diversify and grow our production and resource base and replicate our success in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf through disciplined international expansion.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Its members were the best marchers, the most athletic, the most disciplined.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
The IMF, the one body charged with disciplining imbalances, has no means to do so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Rate hikes aimed at disciplining speculation can do more than cool the room.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
“By arresting Villarreal, rather than solely disciplining the employee for any wrongdoing, county officials took this ‘everyday journalism’ and transformed it ‘into a crime,’ ” she wrote.
From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2026
The State Bar hated the news conference, disciplining the duo for what they considered an act of unethical and distasteful advertising.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2026
“Allowing something like that to happen under my supervision. Not properly disciplining Louisa for her indiscretion. And Louisa couldn’t come forward because she—because.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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