discipline

[dis-uh-plin]

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

disciplined, disciplining 

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

/ ˈdɪsɪˌplɪnəl, ˈdɪsɪplɪn, ˌdɪsɪˈplaɪnəl /

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

verb

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

2. to punish or correct

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of discipline¹

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; disciple; -ine ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of discipline¹

C13: from Latin disciplīna teaching, from discipulus _disciple

Synonym Study

See punish.

Example Sentences

But investors appeared to take the read from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s bullish forecast that companies are more focused on winning the AI landgrab than maintaining cost discipline or preserving their balance sheets.

Read more on Barron's

But investors appeared to take the read from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s bullish forecast that companies are more focused on winning the AI landgrab than maintaining cost discipline or preserving their balance sheets.

Read more on Barron's

Our struggle with discipline, of course, is nothing new.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As she writes, carved surface ornament occupies a “space between architecture and sculpture” that has been neglected by historians of both disciplines.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Those who think history is by its nature a sort of settled permafrost will be surprised to see how the discipline has changed over the past half century.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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