discipline
Americannoun
-
training to act in accordance with rules; drill.
military discipline.
-
an activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.
Sticking to specific and regular mealtimes is excellent discipline for many dieters.
-
a branch of instruction or learning.
the disciplines of history and economics.
-
punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
- Synonyms:
- castigation, chastisement
-
the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc..
the harsh discipline of poverty.
-
behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control.
good discipline in an army.
-
a set or system of rules and regulations.
-
Ecclesiastical. the system of government regulating the practice of a church as distinguished from its doctrine.
-
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)
noun
-
training or conditions imposed for the improvement of physical powers, self-control, etc
-
systematic training in obedience to regulations and authority
-
the state of improved behaviour, etc, resulting from such training or conditions
-
punishment or chastisement
-
a system of rules for behaviour, methods of practice, etc
-
a branch of learning or instruction
-
the laws governing members of a Church
-
a scourge of knotted cords
verb
-
to improve or attempt to improve the behaviour, orderliness, etc, of by training, conditions, or rules
-
to punish or correct
Synonym Usage
See punish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
disciplinernoun
-
multidisciplinenoun
-
predisciplinenoun
-
subdisciplinenoun
-
overdisciplineverb
-
redisciplineverb (used with object)
-
disciplinableadjective
-
disciplinaladjective
-
nondiscipliningadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disciplinesimple
-
disciplinessimple
-
have disciplinedperfect
-
has disciplinedperfect
-
am discipliningprogressive
-
are discipliningprogressive
-
is discipliningprogressive
-
have been discipliningperfect progressive
-
has been discipliningperfect progressive
Past
-
disciplinedsimple
-
had disciplinedperfect
-
was discipliningprogressive
-
were discipliningprogressive
-
had been discipliningperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing discipline
The Outsiders
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Former scrum-half Matt Dawson described England's discipline as "verging on comical" after four players were shown yellow cards in the second half of their 31-24 win over Argentina.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Success depends on discipline, teamwork, emotional control, respect for others and adherence to the rules of the game.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
“Agentic AI trading automates the active, complex work, multistep trades, strategy switching, custom position sizing. That’s not automating discipline; that’s automating action. Not the same thing.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“The proposals that they made in terms of what the discipline would be, the ramifications if a player doesn’t want to do that, in our view, are extreme.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
A new discipline and order also entered their lives.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
At ZOS, Goin estimates some disciplines have been reduced to a quarter of what they were before.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
"Only when both disciplines work closely together can a reliable disease mechanism be derived from a genetic variant."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 13, 2026
It is banned in thoroughbred racing and competitors in other disciplines are divided, with some saying it creates unrealistic expectations and stifles advances in breeding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
The new union would cover more than 2,700 full-time, part-time and adjunct faculty across hundreds of disciplines in 22 schools and the USC libraries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
The reality, however, is that the existing hierarchy disciplines newcomers, requiring them to exercise power in the same old ways and play by the same old rules in order to survive.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
As long as these specialized parts makers can keep charging higher prices and stay disciplined on production, investors should be willing to pay a premium for their shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
We have already seen this disciplined, patient strategy put into practice.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
And Constellation’s Fink suggested Wednesday that the company would take a disciplined approach to selling more nonalcoholic drinks as it figures out patterns in demand and consumption.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026
Under coach Sergej Barbarez, a former professional poker player, the gritty Bosnians rarely gamble, instead playing a disciplined and physical style that emphasizes compactness and swift counterattacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
I was one of the least disciplined, so by the time I was ten, the only subject I had studied systematically was Morse code, because Dad insisted that I learn it.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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
Schools have also become much more lenient in disciplining students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
“Allowing something like that to happen under my supervision. Not properly disciplining Louisa for her indiscretion. And Louisa couldn’t come forward because she—because.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
