disciple

[ dih-sahy-puh l ]

/ dɪˈsaɪ pəl /

noun

Religion.

one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.
one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ. Luke 10:1.
any other professed follower of Christ in His lifetime.

any follower of Christ.

(initial capital letter) a member of the Disciples of Christ.

a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower: a disciple of Freud.

verb (used with object), dis·ci·pled, dis·ci·pling.

Archaic. to convert into a disciple.

Obsolete. to teach; train.

Nearby words

dischronation, disci-, discifloral, disciform, disciform degeneration, disciple, disciples, disciples of christ, disciplinable, disciplinant, disciplinarian

Origin of disciple

before 900; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin discipulus, equivalent to dis- dis-¹ + -cip(ere), combining form of capere to take + -ulus -ule; replacing Middle English deciple < Anglo-French de(s)ciple; replacing Old English discipul < Latin, as above

SYNONYMS FOR disciple

4 See pupil¹.

Related forms

dis·ci·ple·like, adjectivedis·ci·ple·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for discipleship

Then there has been manifested in you an emotion which may be the germ of your future discipleship.
The Way of Initiation|Rudolf Steiner
Such a spectacle as that will each one of you be who does not count the cost of discipleship.
Wit and Humor of the Bible|Marion D. Shutter
Our church can be a means of fulfilling our discipleship, but it can also be an obstacle to it.
Herein is Love|Reuel L. Howe
For these reasons, and because of its transforming influence, we denominated it the principle of discipleship.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II|Francis Augustus Cox

To us, at all events, whatever it may have been to Diderot, the acquaintance and discipleship have proved good for very little.
Diderot and the Encyclopdists|John Morley

British Dictionary definitions for discipleship

disciple

/ (dɪˈsaɪpəl) /

noun

a follower of the doctrines of a teacher or a school of thought

one of the personal followers of Christ (including his 12 apostles) during his earthly life

Derived Forms

discipleship, noundiscipular (dɪˈsɪpjʊlə), adjective

Word Origin for disciple

Old English discipul, from Latin discipulus pupil, from discere to learn

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