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The Root and Meanings ofDiscipline
Discipline comes fromdiscipulus, the Latin word forpupil, which also provided the source of the worddisciple (albeit by way of a Late Latin sense-shift to “a follower of Jesus Christ in his lifetime”). Given that several meanings ofdiscipline deal with study, governing one’s behavior, and instruction, one might assume that the word’s first meaning in English had to do with education. In fact, the earliest known use ofdiscipline appears to be punishment-related; it first was used in the 13th century to refer to chastisement of a religious nature, such asself-flagellation.
Synonyms ofdiscipline
punish,chastise,castigate,chasten,discipline,correct mean to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing.
punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.
chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.
castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.
chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.
discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.
correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.
teach,instruct,educate,train,discipline,school mean to cause to acquire knowledge or skill.
teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.
instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.
educate implies development of the mind.
train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.
discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.
school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.
Examples ofdiscipline in a Sentence
Jeffrey Toobin,New Yorker,7 May 2007Pragmatism became America's most important contribution to the life of the mind in the 20th century. Filtered through scores of later interpreters, it percolated across a broad segment of academic culture and influenceddisciplines as diverse as literary criticism and legal theory.—Theo Anderson,Wilson Quarterly,Summer 2007So the next fall I went to Hampshire College and began studying under Herbert Bernstein. Without him, I would never have become a scientist. He shamed me into doing the hard work necessary to be able not just to talk about math and physics but to calculate. Without thatdiscipline, my story would have been very different …—Lee Smolin,Curious Minds,(2004) 2005He stood erect, his bearing patrician, his dress impeccable. His face was stern and his pale eyes unsmiling behind his trifocals, like a man who had been called from important duties in the principal's office to administerdiscipline to an unruly classroom.—Nick Taylor,Laser,2000 The teacher has a hard time maintainingdiscipline in the classroom. The troops were praised for their dedication anddiscipline. Some parents feel that the school's principal has been too harsh in meting outdiscipline. Keeping a journal is a gooddiscipline for a writer.VerbThe Armydisciplined seven men for the incident, penalties ranging from pay-cuts and loss of rank to dismissal from the Rangers and return to the rank-and-file Army.—Gary Smith,Sports Illustrated,11 Sept. 2006Volunteers have to undergo a program todiscipline the mind and cleanse the soul.—Aparism Ghosh,Time,4 July 2005The teacher then took me to the principal's office. There, the principal attempted todiscipline me with an old Catholic school technique called "paddling" …—Lalo Gomez,Undoing Time,2001 She wasdisciplined for misbehaving in class. He seems unwilling or unable todiscipline his children. I'm trying todiscipline myself to eat less.Everett Eaton,jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026In the 2020 season, which was cut short by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shiffrin won a World Cup race in each individualdiscipline.—Becky Sullivan,NPR, 9 Feb. 2026Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026None of the officers have beendisciplined before, the department noted.—Colleen Cronin,Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026See All Example Sentences fordisciplineWord History
Noun
Middle English, "chastisement, system of ordered conduct, instruction, branch of learning," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latindisciplīna "teaching, instruction, branch of study, orderly conduct based on moral training" (Medieval Latin, "chastisement, scourging"), fromdiscipulus "pupil, learner" +-īna, suffix denoting a place or practice (from noun derivative of feminine of-īnus-ineentry 1) — more atdisciple
Verb
Middle Englishdisciplinen "to subject to chastisement, educate," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-Frenchdiscipliner, borrowed from Late Latindisciplīnāre "to teach" (Medieval Latin, "to punish, scourge"), derivative of Latindisciplīna "teaching,disciplineentry 1"
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined atsense 2
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined atsense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Discipline.”Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discipline. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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discipline
1 of 2noundiscipline
2 of 2verbMore from Merriam-Webster ondiscipline
Nglish:Translation ofdiscipline for Spanish Speakers
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