— 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 disciplina instruction, tuition, equiv. to discipul ( us ) DISCIPLE + -ina -INE 2 ]
Syn. 3. chastisement, castigation. 12. See punish .