discipline

—disciplinal /dis"euh pleuh nl, -plin'l, dis'euh pluyn"l/, adj. —discipliner, n.

/dis"euh plin/, n., v., disciplined, disciplining.

n.

1. training to act in accordance with rules; drill: military discipline.

2. activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training: A daily stint at the typewriter is excellent discipline for a writer.

3. punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.

4. the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc.: the harsh discipline of poverty.

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. Eccles. the system of government regulating the practice of a church as distinguished from its doctrine.

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.

v.t.

10. to train by instruction and exercise; drill.

11. to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control.

12. to punish or penalize in order to train and control; correct; chastise.

[1175-1225; ME < AF < L disciplina instruction, tuition, equiv. to discipul(us) DISCIPLE + -ina -INE²]

Syn. 3. chastisement, castigation. 12. See punish.

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