- past tense form of discipline.
- past participle of discipline.
disciplined
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disciplined
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; discipline + -ed 2
Explanation
People who are disciplined are either rule-followers or they are controlled and efficient. A disciplined runner who's training for a marathon has a regular, daily exercise routine. Your disciplined puppy might be the star of her obedience class, the very best at "sit" and "stay." And your cousin who speaks six languages is also disciplined — she studies, reads, and practices speaking for hours every day. Disciplined comes from the noun discipline, which has come to mean "punishment," but is rooted in the Latin word disciplina, "teaching or knowledge," and also "military discipline."
Vocabulary lists containing disciplined
Ghost
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"La Vida Robot" and "Reading, Writing and... Recreation"
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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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.
Overall, the quarter showed “growing evidence that Ford is becoming a more profitable, more disciplined and genuinely different company,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
"When I came on captain Roston Chase just said 'continue to be disciplined in what you are doing' and to see if I can get some wickets for the team," Greaves said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It is another demonstration of Verizon’s more disciplined approach as the company structurally evolves its business model,” the company said in its earnings release.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
And he stayed disciplined as Nola tried to get him to chase a fastball up and two breaking balls in the dirt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“When I asked for men, I had in mind men of the Night’s Watch, trained and disciplined, whose loyalty I should never have reason to doubt,” wrote Ser Denys.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
