Wiktionary

discipline

See also: discipliné

English

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Etymology

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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”).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɪs.ɪ.plɪn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈdɪs.ə.plɪn/, /ˈdɪs.ə.plən/
    • Audio (California):(file)

Noun

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discipline (countable and uncountable, plural disciplines)

  2. A controlled behaviour; self-control.
    • a. 1729, John Rogers, The Difficulties of Obtaining Salvation:
      The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard.
    1. An enforced compliance or control.
      • 1956, Michael Arlen, “1/1/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days‎[1]:
        The masters looked unusually stern, but it was the sternness of thought rather than of discipline.
    2. A systematic method of obtaining obedience.
      • 1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:
        Discipline aims at the removal of bad habits and the substitution of good ones, especially those of order, regularity, and obedience.
      • 1973, Bible (New International Version), Hebrews 12:7:
        Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
    3. A state of order based on submission to authority.
      • 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, […], →OCLC:
        Their wildness lose, and, quitting nature's part, / Obey the rules and discipline of art.
    4. A set of rules regulating behaviour.
    5. A punishment to train or maintain control.
      1. (Catholicism) A whip used for self-flagellation.
        • 2024 March 16, Antonia Cundy, “The Opus Dei diaries”, in FT Weekend, page 18:
          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.
      2. A flagellation as a means of obtaining sexual gratification.
  4. A specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice.
    • 2013 August 3, “Boundary problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
      Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art.
    • 1648, John Wilkins, Mathematical Magick:
      This mathematical discipline, by the help of geometrical principles, doth teach to contrive several weights and powers unto motion or rest.
    1. A category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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  • (antonym(s) of “controlled behaviour et al.”): spontaneity

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Verb

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discipline (third-person singular simple present disciplines, present participle disciplining, simple past and past participle disciplined)

  1. (transitive) To train someone by instruction and practice.
  2. (transitive) To teach someone to obey authority.
  3. (transitive) To punish someone in order to (re)gain control.
  4. (transitive) To impose order on someone.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Dutch

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch discipline, from Old French discipline, from Latin disciplīna.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˌdi.siˈpli.nə/, /ˌdɪ.siˈpli.nə/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: dis‧ci‧pli‧ne
  • Rhymes: -inə

Noun

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discipline f (plural disciplines, diminutive disciplinetje n)

  1. discipline, self-control
    Synonyms: zelfbeheersing, zelfcontrole
  2. discipline, regime of forcing compliance
  3. discipline, sanction
    Synonym: tucht
  4. discipline, branch
    Synonym: tak

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Afrikaans: dissipline
  • → Indonesian: disiplin

French

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Borrowed from Latin disciplīna.

Noun

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discipline f (plural disciplines)

  1. discipline, sanction
  2. discipline, self-control
  3. discipline, branch
Derived terms
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Descendants
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Etymology 2

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Verb

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discipline

  1. inflection of discipliner:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

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Italian

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Noun

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discipline f pl

  1. plural of disciplina

Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • (Portugal) IPA(key): (careful pronunciation) /diʃ.siˈpli.nɨ/, /di.siˈpli.nɨ/

Verb

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discipline

  1. inflection of disciplinar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

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Verb

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discipline

  1. inflection of disciplinar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative
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