Definition of 'discipline'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense disciplines
, present participle disciplining
, past tense, past participle disciplined
1. uncountable noun
Discipline is the practice of making people obey rules or standards of behaviour, and punishing them when they do not.
2. uncountable noun
Discipline is the quality of being able to behave and work in a controlled way which involves obeying particular rules or standards.
3. variable noun
If you refer to an activity or situation as a discipline, you mean that, in order to be successful in it, you need to behave in a strictly controlled way and obey particular rules
or standards.
4. verb
If someone is disciplined for something that they have done wrong, they are punished for it.
5. verb
If you discipline yourself to do something, you train yourself to behave and work in a strictly controlled and regular way.
6. countable noun
A discipline is a particular area of study, especially a subject of study in a college or university.
[formal]
7. See also self-discipline
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
discipline
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
Word Frequency
discipline in British English
noun
1.
2.
3.
the state of improved behaviour, etc, resulting from such training or conditions
4.
punishment or chastisement
5.
a system of rules for behaviour, methods of practice, etc
6.
a branch of learning or instruction
7.
the laws governing members of a Church
verb (transitive)
9.
to improve or attempt to improve the behaviour, orderliness, etc, of by training,
conditions, or rules
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
disciplinable (ˈdisciˌplinable) adjective
discipliner (ˈdisciˌpliner)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Latin disciplīna teaching, from discipulus discipleWord Frequency
discipline in American English
noun
1.
a branch of knowledge or learning
2.
a.
training that develops self-control, character, or orderliness and efficiency
3.
the result of such training or control
; specif.,
b.
acceptance of or submission to authority and control
4.
a system of rules, as for a church or monastic order
5.
treatment that corrects or punishes
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈdisciˌplined or ˈdisciˌplining
6.
to subject to discipline; train; control
7.
to punish
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈpunish
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
disciplinable (ˈdisciˌplinable)
adjective
disciplinal (ˈdisciˌplinal)
adjective
discipliner (ˈdisciˌpliner)
noun
Word Frequency
discipline in American English
(ˈdɪsəplɪn) (verb -plined, -plining)
noun
2.
A daily stint at the typewriter is excellent discipline for a writer
3.
punishment inflicted by way of correction and training
5.
behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control
good discipline in an army
6.
a set or system of rules and regulations
7. Ecclesiast
8.
an instrument of punishment, esp. a whip or scourge, used in the practice of self-mortification or as an instrument of chastisement
in certain religious communities
9.
a branch of instruction or learning
the disciplines of history and economics
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 3. chastisement, castigation. 12. See punish.10.
to train by instruction and exercise; drill
11.
to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
disciplinal (ˈdɪsəplənl, -ˌplɪnl, ˌdɪsəˈplainl) adjective
discipliner
noun
Word origin
[1175–1225; ME ‹ AF ‹ L disciplīna instruction, tuition, equiv. to discipul(us) disciple + -ina -ine2]Examples of 'discipline' in a sentence
discipline
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In other languages
discipline
British English: discipline
/ˈdɪsɪplɪn/ NOUN
Discipline is the practice of making people obey rules or standards of behaviour, and punishing them when they do not.
...poor discipline in schools.
- American English: discipline /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/
- Arabic: تَأْدِيب
- Brazilian Portuguese: disciplina
- Chinese: 纪律
- Croatian: disciplina
- Czech: disciplína
- Danish: disciplin
- Dutch: discipline
- European Spanish: disciplina
- Finnish: kuri
- French: discipline
- German: Disziplin
- Greek: πειθαρχία
- Italian: disciplina
- Japanese: 規律
- Korean: 규율
- Norwegian: disiplin
- Polish: dyscyplina
- European Portuguese: disciplina
- Romanian: disciplină
- Russian: поддержание порядка
- Latin American Spanish: disciplina
- Swedish: disciplin
- Thai: ระเบียบวินัย
- Turkish: disiplin
- Ukrainian: дисципліна
- Vietnamese: kỷ luật
British English: discipline
VERB /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/
If someone is disciplined for something that they have done wrong, they are punished for it.
The workman was disciplined by his company but not dismissed.
- American English: discipline /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/
- Brazilian Portuguese: disciplinar
- Chinese: 处罚
- European Spanish: disciplinar
- French: punir
- German: bestrafen
- Italian: sanzionare
- Japanese: 懲戒する
- Korean: 징계를 받다
- European Portuguese: disciplinar
- Latin American Spanish: disciplinar
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Definition of discipline from the Collins English Dictionary
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