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Which general wrote, "Discipline is the soul of an army"?

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discipline

American  

[dis-uh-plin] / ˈdɪs ə plɪn /

noun

• disciplines
  plural

1. training to act in accordance with rules; drill.

   military discipline.

2. an activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.

   Sticking to specific and regular mealtimes is excellent discipline for many dieters.

3. a branch of instruction or learning.

   the disciplines of history and economics.

4. punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.

   Synonyms:

   castigation, chastisement

5. the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc..

   the harsh discipline of poverty.

6. behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control.

   good discipline in an army.

7. a set or system of rules and regulations.

8. Ecclesiastical. the system of government regulating the practice of a church as distinguished from its doctrine.

9. 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.

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verb (used with object)

• disciplines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• disciplined,
  past participle,  past
• disciplining
  present participle

1. to train by instruction and exercise; drill.

2. to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control.

3. to punish or penalize in order to train and control; correct; chastise.

discipline British  

/ ˈdɪsɪplɪn /

noun

1. training or conditions imposed for the improvement of physical powers, self-control, etc

2. systematic training in obedience to regulations and authority

3. the state of improved behaviour, etc, resulting from such training or conditions

4. punishment or chastisement

5. a system of rules for behaviour, methods of practice, etc

6. a branch of learning or instruction

7. the laws governing members of a Church

8. a scourge of knotted cords

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verb

1. to improve or attempt to improve the behaviour, orderliness, etc, of by training, conditions, or rules

2. to punish or correct

Synonym Usage

See punish.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• discipliner
  noun
• multidiscipline
  noun
• prediscipline
  noun
• subdiscipline
  noun
• overdiscipline
  verb
• rediscipline
  verb (used with object)
• disciplinable
  adjective
• disciplinal
  adjective
• nondisciplining
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disciplines
  plural

Participles

• disciplining
  present
• disciplined
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• discipline
  simple
• disciplines
  simple
• have disciplined
  perfect
• has disciplined
  perfect
• am disciplining
  progressive
• are disciplining
  progressive
• is disciplining
  progressive
• have been disciplining
  perfect progressive
• has been disciplining
  perfect progressive

Past

• disciplined
  simple
• had disciplined
  perfect
• was disciplining
  progressive
• were disciplining
  progressive
• had been disciplining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will discipline
  simple
• will have disciplined
  perfect
• will be disciplining
  progressive
• will have been disciplining
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discipline disciplines disciplined disciplining

Pakistan have begun an inquiry into "discipline and conduct" in the latest twist on a turbulent tour of England.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

When I finished my studies, the mere existence of the discipline at a major American university was a punch line for everyone I knew.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The state Legislature on Monday approved McNerney’s bill, Senate Bill 947, which would bar employers from “solely” using automated decision-making systems to discipline or fire employees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The Fed calls this being data dependent, a phrase with the cadence of a discipline and the function of an alibi.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

It should only be about finding the discipline and the courage to do the hard work.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Held on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul –- a vast mountain lake in northern Kyrgyzstan -- athletes have been competing in dozens of disciplines: from intellectual board games to arm-wrestling.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

Although the photographs share the unnerving intensity characteristic of his films, Lynch understood the two disciplines as distinct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

The program trains students from a range of disciplines to develop strategies for addressing resource scarcity, climate change, and extreme weather events, as well as food, water, and energy crises.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

An author then ranges across disciplines to show how consequential, in human affairs, the ordinary thing has been.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Specialists from several disciplines have provided global syntheses of their subjects.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The flashy left-hander played plenty of shots and sent down one serve at 149mph, but was excellent on return and disciplined in defence.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Officers in Baytown, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Temple and Pasadena also have been arrested, disciplined or investigated.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

A company insider not authorized to speak publicly told The Times in 2012 that Walter was a disciplined, focused and careful investor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

“A significant portion of an adviser’s value comes from behavioral coaching, tax planning, disciplined rebalancing and comprehensive financial planning, rather than security selection or market timing,” La Spisa says.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

Again and again Teacher disciplined his Class Five students for discussing her chances of survival instead of doing their classwork.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

The State Bar would be tasked with disciplining lawyers that flout the rule.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The solicitors firm added that the ambulance trust was "not formally disciplining" staff but had "strengthened their HR process for future incidents".

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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

Katherine makes a small sound in the back of her throat before saying, “Well, Sheriff, thank you for that. I'd planned on disciplining Jane, but this will save me some effort.”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• control
• development
• education
• method
• practice
• preparation
• regulation
• restraint
• self-control
• self-restraint
• will