disciple
Americannoun
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a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower.
a disciple of Freud.
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Religion.
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one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.
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one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ. Luke 10:1.
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any other professed follower of Christ in His lifetime.
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any follower of Christ.
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Disciple, a member of the Disciples of Christ.
verb (used with object)
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Archaic. to convert into a disciple.
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Obsolete. to teach; train.
noun
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a follower of the doctrines of a teacher or a school of thought
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one of the personal followers of Christ (including his 12 apostles) during his earthly life
Related Words
See pupil 1.
Other Word Forms
- disciplelike adjective
- discipleship noun
- discipular adjective
Etymology
Origin of disciple
First recorded before 900; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin discipulus, equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + -cip(ere), combining form of capere “to take” + -ulus -ule; replacing Middle English deciple, from Anglo-French de(s)ciple; replacing Old English discipul, from Latin, as above
Explanation
A disciple is a follower or a fan of someone. You might consider yourself to be a disciple of your favorite yoga teacher. The noun disciple comes from the Latin word discipulus, which means "student, learner, or follower." One of the earliest places disciple showed up was in the Bible, where it means "a follower of Jesus," sometimes specifically one of the twelve Apostles. It's still used that way in religious speech and writing, but it can also describe a serious, dedicated follower or student of a teacher or leader.
Vocabulary lists containing disciple
Persepolis
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The Poet X
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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.
Oh my, Cori, this being a legacy triumph for coach Cori Close, a John Wooden disciple who led through thoughtful motivation instead of mindless screaming.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
The judge notes that Mr. Hegseth relies on “the well-established doctrine” that members of the military enjoy less rigorous First Amendment protection given the need for military order and disciple.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
He’s a disciple of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who is considered one of the top offensive schemers around.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
In the meantime, Third Coast has been touring “Murmurs” featuring a Hussain disciple, Salar Nader, as soloist.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
And there was Billy, the proud master, watching his gifted disciple from the car, unable to get out because of the pain in his leg and the arthritis.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
