discipline

American  

[dis-uh-plin] / ˈdɪs ə plɪn /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

Related Words

See punish.

Other Word Forms

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

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

Banks are too complex to govern through legislated rules alone, too important to leave to market discipline, and too dynamic for one-time approval.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Although they hadn’t set a target of quickly reaching $1 million, “it was discipline and habits over time,” he said, which Edwards has been sharing on social media.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Whereas in the language of sports, we talk about endurance, discipline and grit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

“The Board and I have full confidence in her ability to lead Viking with the same continuity, discipline and vision that have guided us since Viking was founded.”

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Thus their first appearance in a discipline marks a crucial moment in the history of that discipline, the beginning of what, in retrospect, we may call ‘modernity’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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