Definition of docile
1 : easily taught a docile pupil
2 : easily led or managed : tractable a docile pony
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Examples of docile in a Sentence
In the course of a single month, from Annie's arrival to her triumph in bridling the household despot, Helen [Keller] had grown docile, affectionate, and tirelessly intent on learning from moment to moment. —Cynthia Ozick, New Yorker, 16 & 23 June 2003
Africanized honeybees look like the European honeybees now commonly found in our gardens, and like their relatives, they make honey. They are fairly docile when they are foraging, but they defend their nests ferociously. —Lynn Ocone, Sunset, February 1994
His students were docile and eager to learn.
a docile young pony that went wherever it was led
Recent Examples of docile from the Web
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The Eastern indigo is a gentle giant, very docile, does well with kids, and people flock to see it.
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Some other types of sharks that are similarly docile also congregate in La Jolla.
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If one of these ridges sets up over turbines, the air is relatively docile directly underneath.
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And even Martin Luther King Jr., the nonviolent leader of the 1960s, was more than a docile man on grainy black and white footage.
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Reed is known for his ruthless Ryder Cup style — pumping up American crowds and shushing those overseas — and for his docile performances in major championships.
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In the front seat Vierheller holds the docile boy friend of his discontent passenger.
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This push favors docile coyotes — the kind that could coexist with dogwalkers on greenways — and is rooted in new federal research that compares cowering coyote behavior in rural habitat with extreme boldness among those in metro Denver.
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But Lieberman was criticized as being too docile during the debate and not attacking Cheney's obvious Achilles heel: his extreme right-wing record as a member of Congress and secretary of defense.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'docile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ready to Learn The Origin of docile?
Docile students can make teaching a lot easier. Nowadays, calling students "docile" indicates 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 Latin docēre, which means "to teach." Other descendants of "docēre" include "doctrine" (which can mean "something that is taught"), "document" (the earliest meaning of which was "instruction"), and "doctor" and "docent" (both of which can refer to college teachers).
Origin and Etymology of docile
Latin docilis, from docēre to teach; akin to Latin decēre to be fitting — more at decent
Synonym Discussion of docile
DOCILE Defined for English Language Learners
docile
playDefinition of docile for English Language Learners
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: easily taught, led, or controlled
DOCILE Defined for Kids
docile
playDefinition of docile for Students
: easily taught, led, or managed a docile horse
docilely
adverbLearn More about docile
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See words that rhyme with docile Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for docile Spanish Central: Translation of docile Nglish: Translation of docile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of docile for Arabic speakers
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