Meanings
plural disciplines
- countableuncountableA controlled behaviour; self-control.
The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard.
a. 1729, John Rogers, The Difficulties of Obtaining SalvationAntonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableAn enforced compliance or control.
The masters looked unusually stern, but it was the sternness of thought rather than of discipline.
1956, Michael Arlen, “1/1/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These DaysAntonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableA systematic method of obtaining obedience.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
1973, Bible (New International Version), Hebrews 12:71 more example
Discipline aims at the removal of bad habits and the substitution of good ones, especially those of order, regularity, and obedience.
1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms DiscriminatedAntonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableA state of order based on submission to authority.
Their wildness lose, and, quitting nature's part, / Obey the rules and discipline of art.
1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLCAntonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableA punishment to train or maintain control.
giving her the discipline of the strap
1712 October 12 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “WEDNESDAY, October 2, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 499; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLCSynonyms: penalty, sanction, censure, correction, penalty, punishment, punition, sanction · Antonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableCatholicismA whip used for self-flagellation.
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.
2024 March 16, Antonia Cundy, “The Opus Dei diaries”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 18Synonyms: penalty, sanction, censure, correction, penalty, punishment, punition, sanction · Antonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableA flagellation as a means of obtaining sexual gratification.
Synonyms: penalty, sanction, censure, correction, penalty, punishment, punition, sanction · Antonyms: spontaneity
- countableuncountableA specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice.
academic disciplines
3 more examples
Near-synonyms: specialty, speciality, specialism
Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art.
2013 August 3, “Boundary problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847This mathematical discipline, by the help of geometrical principles, doth teach to contrive several weights and powers unto motion or rest.
1648, John Wilkins, Mathematical MagickSynonyms: field, sphere, specialty, speciality, specialism
- countableuncountableA category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.
Synonyms: field, sphere, specialty, speciality, specialism
present singular third person disciplines · participle present disciplining · participle past disciplined · past disciplined
- transitiveTo train someone by instruction and practice.
- transitiveTo punish someone in order to (re)gain control.
- transitiveTo impose order on someone.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA controlled behaviour; self-control.
nounAn enforced compliance or control.
nounA systematic method of obtaining obedience.
nounA state of order based on submission to authority.
nounA set of rules regulating behaviour.
nounA punishment to train or maintain control.
nounA whip used for self-flagellation.
nounA flagellation as a means of obtaining sexual gratification.
nounA specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice.
nounA category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna branch of knowledge
verbdevelop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
verbpunish in order to gain control or enforce obedience
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dek-“(cause to) accept”
- Latindisciplina“instruction”
- Old Frenchdescipline
- Middle English[Term?]
- Englishdiscipline
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَرْتِيب, اِنْضِبَاط
- تَرْتِيب (tartīb)enforced compliance or control
- اِنْضِبَاط (inḍibāṭ)enforced compliance or control
- نِظَام (niẓām)category in which a certain activity belongs
- اِنْضِبَاط (inḍibāṭ)controlled behaviour, self-control
- تَهْذِيب (tahḏīb)controlled behaviour, self-control
- تَهْذِيب (tahḏīb)punishment
- فَرْع مِنَ الْمَعْرِفَة (farʕ mina l-maʕrifa)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- مَادَّة (mādda)specific branch or knowledge or learning
Bulgarian поря́дък, дисципли́на
- поря́дък (porjádăk)enforced compliance or control
- дисципли́на (disciplína)category in which a certain activity belongs
- дисципли́на (disciplína)controlled behaviour, self-control
- наказа́ние (nakazánie)punishment
- дисципли́на (disciplína)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- възпитавам (văzpitavam)to train someone by instruction and practice
- дисциплинирам (discipliniram)to teach someone to obey authority
- дисциплинирам (discipliniram)to impose order on someone
Catalan disciplina, disciplina
- disciplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplinaspecific branch or knowledge or learning
- disciplinarto train someone by instruction and practice
Chinese Mandarin 紀律 /纪律, 學科 /学科
- 紀律 /纪律 (jìlǜ)controlled behaviour, self-control
- 學科 /学科 (xuékē)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- 學術 /学术 (xuéshù)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- 處分 /处分 (chǔfèn)to punish someone in order to (re)gain control
Czech disciplína, obor
- disciplínacategory in which a certain activity belongs
- oborcategory in which a certain activity belongs
- kázeňcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplínacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplínaspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Danish disciplin
- disciplincontrolled behaviour, self-control
Dutch discipline, branche
- disciplinecategory in which a certain activity belongs
- branchecategory in which a certain activity belongs
- takcategory in which a certain activity belongs
- disciplinecontrolled behaviour, self-control
- (zelf)beheersingcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplinepunishment
- tuchtigingpunishment
- tuchtstrafpunishment
- disciplinespecific branch or knowledge or learning
- branchespecific branch or knowledge or learning
- drillento train someone by instruction and practice
- disciplinerento teach someone to obey authority
- temmento teach someone to obey authority
- disciplinerento punish someone in order to (re)gain control
- tuchtigento punish someone in order to (re)gain control
- disciplinerento impose order on someone
- temmento impose order on someone
Esperanto disciplino
- disciplinocontrolled behaviour, self-control
Finnish kuri, kuri
- kurienforced compliance or control
- kurisystematic method
- kurinpitosystematic method
- kuristate of order
- järjestyssäännötset of rules
- piiskaCatholicism: whip used for self-flagellation
- piiskausflagellation as a means of obtaining sexual gratification
- lajicategory in which a certain activity belongs
- alacategory in which a certain activity belongs
- taidelajicategory in which a certain activity belongs
- taiteenalacategory in which a certain activity belongs
- urheilulajicategory in which a certain activity belongs
- pitää kuriato train someone by instruction and practice
- kasvattaa kuriinto teach someone to obey authority
- kurittaato punish someone in order to (re)gain control
- pakottaa kuriinto impose order on someone
French discipline, branche
- disciplinecategory in which a certain activity belongs
- branchecategory in which a certain activity belongs
- disciplinecontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplinepunishment
- pénalitépunishment
- disciplinespecific branch or knowledge or learning
- branchespecific branch or knowledge or learning
German Disziplin, Disziplin
- Disziplincategory in which a certain activity belongs
- Disziplincontrolled behaviour, self-control
- Strafepunishment
- Bestrafungpunishment
- Disziplinspecific branch or knowledge or learning
- disziplinierento teach someone to obey authority
- disziplinierento impose order on someone
Greek πειθαρχία, επιστημονικός κλάδος
- πειθαρχία (peitharchía)controlled behaviour, self-control
- επιστημονικός κλάδος (epistimonikós kládos)specific branch or knowledge or learning
Hebrew מִשְׁמַעַת
- מִשְׁמַעַת (mishmá'at)controlled behaviour, self-control
Hindi अनुशासन, अनुशासन
- अनुशासन (anuśāsan)enforced compliance or control
- अनुशासन (anuśāsan)systematic method
- अनुशासित (anuśāsit)state of order
- अनुशासन (anuśāsan)controlled behaviour, self-control
- दंड (daṇḍ)punishment
- विषय (viṣay)specific branch or knowledge or learning
Hungarian fegyelem, tudományág
- fegyelemcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- tudományágspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Icelandic agi
- agicontrolled behaviour, self-control
Indonesian disiplin, disiplin ilmu
- disiplincontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disiplin ilmuspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Irish disciplín, smacht
- disciplíncategory in which a certain activity belongs
- smachtcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- araíonachtcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- araíonachtpunishment
- disciplínspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Italian disciplina
- disciplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
Japanese 鍛錬, 規律
- 鍛錬 (tanren)systematic method
- 規律 (kiritsu)controlled behaviour, self-control
- 学科 (gakka)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- 学問 (gakumon)specific branch or knowledge or learning
Korean 규율, 학과
- 규율 (gyuyul)controlled behaviour, self-control
- 학과 (hakgwa)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- 학문 (hangmun)specific branch or knowledge or learning
Latin disciplina, disciplina
- disciplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplinaspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Latvian disciplīna, disciplīna
- disciplīnaenforced compliance or control
- disciplīnasystematic method
- disciplīnastate of order
- disciplīnacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplīnaspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Lithuanian disciplina
- disciplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
Māori whakaraupapa, whiunga
- whakaraupapacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- whiungapunishment
- akorangaspecific branch or knowledge or learning
- whakawhiuto punish someone in order to (re)gain control
- whakaraupapato impose order on someone
Norwegian disiplinere
- disiplinereto train someone by instruction and practice
Norwegian Bokmål disiplin, disiplin
- disiplincategory in which a certain activity belongs
- disiplincontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disiplinspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Polish dyscyplina
- dyscyplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
Portuguese disciplina, disciplina
- disciplinaenforced compliance or control
- disciplinasystematic method
- disciplinastate of order
- disciplinacategory in which a certain activity belongs
- modalidadecategory in which a certain activity belongs
- disciplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- castigopunishment
- disciplinaspecific branch or knowledge or learning
- disciplinarto train someone by instruction and practice
- disciplinarto teach someone to obey authority
- disciplinarto punish someone in order to (re)gain control
Romanian disciplină
- disciplinăcontrolled behaviour, self-control
Russian поря́док, дисципли́на
- поря́док (porjádok)enforced compliance or control
- дисципли́на (disciplína)category in which a certain activity belongs
- дисципли́на (disciplína)controlled behaviour, self-control
- дисциплини́рованность (disciplinírovannostʹ)controlled behaviour, self-control
- наказа́ние (nakazánije)punishment
- дисципли́на (disciplína)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- предме́т (predmét)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- дисциплинировать (disciplinirovatʹ)to train someone by instruction and practice
- тренировать (trenirovatʹ)to train someone by instruction and practice
- упражнять (upražnjatʹ)to train someone by instruction and practice
- нака́зывать (nakázyvatʹ)to punish someone in order to (re)gain control
- подверга́ть взысканию (podvergátʹ vzyskaniju)to punish someone in order to (re)gain control
Slovak disciplína
- disciplínacontrolled behaviour, self-control
Spanish disciplina, disciplina
- disciplinacategory in which a certain activity belongs
- disciplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
- castigopunishment
- ramospecific branch or knowledge or learning
- disciplinarto train someone by instruction and practice
Swedish disciplin, disciplin
- disciplincontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disciplinspecific branch or knowledge or learning
- disciplinerato train someone by instruction and practice
- drillato train someone by instruction and practice
Tagalog takdang-aral, disiplina
- takdang-aralcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disiplinacontrolled behaviour, self-control
Thai ระเบียบ, ระเบียบ
- ระเบียบ (rá-bìiap)enforced compliance or control
- ระเบียบ (rá-bìiap)state of order
- สาขา (sǎa-kǎa)category in which a certain activity belongs
- วินัย (wí-nai)controlled behaviour, self-control
- วิชา (wí-chaa)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- สาขาวิชาspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Turkish disiplin, disiplin
- disiplincategory in which a certain activity belongs
- disiplincontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disiplinpunishment
- cezapunishment
- bilim dalıspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Ukrainian поря́док, дисциплі́на
- поря́док (porjádok)enforced compliance or control
- дисциплі́на (dyscyplína)controlled behaviour, self-control
- дисциплі́на (dyscyplína)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- предме́т (predmét)specific branch or knowledge or learning
- дисциплінува́ти (dyscyplinuváty)to train someone by instruction and practice
Urdu نَظْم و ضَبْط
- نَظْم و ضَبْط (nazm o zabt)controlled behaviour, self-control
Vietnamese kỉ luật
- kỉ luậtcontrolled behaviour, self-control
Welsh disgyblaeth, disgyblaeth
- disgyblaethcontrolled behaviour, self-control
- disgyblaethspecific branch or knowledge or learning
Cite this entry
discipline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discipline
“discipline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discipline. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “discipline,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discipline.
Source: discipline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.