What does "discipline" mean?
A controlled behaviour; self-control.
Discipline
/ˈdɪsɪplɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Top 500 ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A controlled behaviour; self-control.
- Grammar: discipline is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: correction, field, penalty, subject.
- Useful contrasts: casual behavior, dionysian, primal drive.
- Usage evidence: School discipline is not as it should be.
How to use "discipline"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "discipline" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "discipline" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "discipline" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "discipline" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "discipline" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "correction" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "discipline", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A controlled behaviour; self-control. countable, uncountable
"The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard."
- 2 training to improve strength or self-control wordnet
- 3 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; An enforced compliance or control. countable, uncountable
"The masters looked unusually stern, but it was the sternness of thought rather than of discipline."
- 4 the act of disciplining wordnet
- 5 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; A systematic method of obtaining obedience. countable, uncountable
"Discipline aims at the removal of bad habits and the substitution of good ones, especially those of order, regularity, and obedience."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 the trait of being well behaved wordnet
- 7 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; A state of order based on submission to authority. countable, uncountable
"Their wildness lose, and, quitting nature's part, / Obey the rules and discipline of art."
- 8 a system of rules of conduct or method of practice wordnet
- 9 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; A set of rules regulating behaviour. countable, uncountable
- 10 a branch of knowledge wordnet
- 11 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; A punishment to train or maintain control. countable, uncountable
"giving her the discipline of the strap"
- 12 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; A punishment to train or maintain control.; A whip used for self-flagellation. countable, uncountable
"All she had done was give Teena a cilice, a barbed metal chain she was to tie around her thigh for two hours every day, and a discipline, a rope whip with knotted ends she was to use on her back when she prayed the Hail Mary."
- 13 A controlled behaviour; self-control.; A punishment to train or maintain control.; A flagellation as a means of obtaining sexual gratification. countable, uncountable
- 14 A specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice. countable, uncountable
"Near-synonyms: specialty, speciality, specialism"
- 15 A specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice.; A category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To train someone by instruction and practice. transitive
- 2 punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience wordnet
- 3 To teach someone to obey authority. transitive
- 4 develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control wordnet
- 5 To punish someone in order to (re)gain control. transitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To impose order on someone. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"School discipline is not as it should be."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "discipline"?
Common synonyms include: correction, field, penalty, subject, academic discipline, academic field.
How do you use "discipline" in a sentence?
School discipline is not as it should be.
How do you pronounce "discipline"?
Pronounced /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/.
Etymology
From Middle English [Term?], from Anglo-Norman, from Old French descipline, from Latin disciplina (“instruction”), from discipulus (“pupil”), influenced by disco (“to learn”), from Proto-Indo-European *dek- (“(cause to) accept”).