Word of the Day

: January 27, 2024

docile

adjective DAH-sul

What It Means

Docile is used to describe those who are easily taught, led, or managed.

// Though the professor feared a rowdy incoming class, he found that his new students were docile and eager to learn.

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docile in Context

"An homage to David Cronenberg's 2005 film 'A History of Violence,' 'Leo' released on Oct. 19. The action-thriller follows a docile cafe owner (Vijay) who is incited to return to his violent past." — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Oct. 2023

Did You Know?

Docile students have always made teaching easier than it otherwise would be. Today calling students "docile" indicates that they aren't trouble-makers, but there's more than just good behavior connecting docility to teachability. The original meaning of docile is more to the point: "readily absorbing something taught." "The docile mind may soon thy precepts know," rendered Ben Jonson, for example, in a 17th-century translation of the Roman poet Horace. Docile comes from the Latin verb docēre, which means "to teach." Other descendants of docēre include doctrine (which can mean "something that is taught"), document (an early meaning of which was "instruction"), and doctor and docent (both of which can refer to teachers).