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docile

[ dos-uhl; British doh-sahyl ]
/ ˈdɒs əl; British ˈdoʊ saɪl /
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See synonyms for: docile / docility on Thesaurus.com
adjective
easily managed or handled; tractable: a docile horse.
readily trained or taught; teachable.
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Origin of docile

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin docilis “readily taught,” equivalent to doc(ēre) “to teach” + -ilis adjective suffix (see -ile)

OTHER WORDS FROM docile

doc·ile·ly, adverbdo·cil·i·ty [do-sil-i-tee, doh-], /dɒˈsɪl ɪ ti, doʊ-/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to docile

easygoing, gentle, laid-back, meek, obedient, pliable, pliant, well-behaved, accommodating, acquiescent, adaptable, agreeable, amenable, biddable, childlike, complacent, cool, ductile, easy, governable

How to use docile in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for docile

docile
/ (ˈdəʊsaɪl) /
adjective
easy to manage, control, or discipline; submissive
rare ready to learn; easy to teach

Derived forms of docile

docilely, adverbdocility (dəʊˈsɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for docile

C15: from Latin docilis easily taught, from docēre to teach
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
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