Definition Definition

discipline - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'discipline' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Discipline [ n.]
- The treatment suited to a disciple or learner; education; development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; training, whether physical, mental, or moral.
- Training to act in accordance with established rules; accustoming to systematic and regular action; drill.
- Subjection to rule; submissiveness to order and control; habit of obedience.
- Severe training, corrective of faults; instruction by means of misfortune, suffering, punishment, etc.
- Correction; chastisement; punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
- The subject matter of instruction; a branch of knowledge.
- The enforcement of methods of correction against one guilty of ecclesiastical offenses; reformatory or penal action toward a church member.
- Self-inflicted and voluntary corporal punishment, as penance, or otherwise; specifically, a penitential scourge.
- A system of essential rules and duties; as, the Romish or Anglican discipline.
2 . Discipline [ v. t.]
- To educate; to develop by instruction and exercise; to train.
- To accustom to regular and systematic action; to bring under control so as to act systematically; to train to act together under orders; to teach subordination to; to form a habit of obedience in; to drill.
- To improve by corrective and penal methods; to chastise; to correct.
- To inflict ecclesiastical censures and penalties upon.

Meaning of 'discipline' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . discipline [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a branch of knowledge
Example in sentence:
  • anthropology is the study of human beings;
  • in what discipline is his doctorate?;
  • teachers should be well trained in their subject
Meaning (2):
- a system of rules of conduct or method of practice
Example in sentence:
  • for such a plan to work requires discipline;
  • he quickly learned the discipline of prison routine
Meaning (3):
- the trait of being well behaved
Example in sentence:
  • he insisted on discipline among the troops
Meaning (4):
- the act of disciplining
Example in sentence:
  • the offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received
5 . discipline [ v]
Meaning (5):
- develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
Example in sentence:
  • Is this dog trained?;
  • Parents must discipline their children
Meaning (6):
- punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience
Example in sentence:
  • The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently