Discipline
1) Training or exercise intended to produce obedience, self-control, and orderly behavior; 2) a branch or field of study; 3) self-control or restraint in thoughts and actions.
nounDiscipline
1) Training or exercise intended to produce obedience, self-control, and orderly behavior; 2) a branch or field of study; 3) self-control or restraint in thoughts and actions.
nounImagine This
Picture a strict drill sergeant guiding recruits through precise routines, and a student choosing to study late at night instead of giving in to distractions—discipline at work in both structure and self-control.
Sounds Like
DISS-uh-plin
Looks Like
disciple (similar letters; different meaning)
Remember This
Discipline can refer to both training (behavioral control) and an academic field of study (a discipline like biology or economics). The word shares a root with disciple, both deriving from Latin disciplina meaning instruction or training (from discere, to learn).
Other Forms
Connect With
order, self-control, training, regimen, field of study, obedience
Note
Discipline is different from punishment, though it may involve enforcing rules. The adjective form is disciplinary; the adjective describing a person who has self-control is disciplined.