docile

adjective

doc·​ile ˈdä-səl 

 also  -ˌsī(-ə)l,

 especially British  ˈdō-ˌsī(-ə)l

1

: easily taught

a docile pupil

2

: easily led or managed : tractable

a docile pony

docilely

ˈdä-sə(l)-lē 

adverb

docility

dä-ˈsi-lə-tē 

dō-

noun

Did you know?

Ready to learn the origin of docile?

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).

Synonyms

• obedient

Choose the Right Synonym for docile

obedient, docile, tractable, amenable mean submissive to the will of another.

obedient implies compliance with the demands or requests of one in authority.

obedient to the government

docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance.

a docile child

tractable suggests having a character that permits easy handling or managing.

tractable animals

amenable suggests a willingness to yield or cooperate because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open-mindedness.

amenable to new ideas

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 on the Web

As with any popular interior design style from this time, some people took the look a bit too far, and spaces started to look a little too docile and frilly. —Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2025

Liberation Weekend aims to build on the ambitions of 2020s showcases like New Haven’s T4T Fest while avoiding the docile pleasantries of larger organizations beholden to corporate and political donors. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025

Large but docile eastern indigo snakes rule the forest floor, though their rosy cheeks and lustrous bodies are rarely seen. —Elise Bennett, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2025

Moreover, the website adds that these animals are usually quite docile in nature and are generally not known to attack humans. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin docilis, from docēre to teach; akin to Latin decēre to be fitting — more at decent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for docile

• fossil
• jostle
• apostle
• colossal
• hydrocele
• nitrosyl
• subbasal
• hypoglossal
• nannofossil

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Kids Definition

docile

adjective

doc·​ile ˈdäs-əl 

: easily taught, led, or managed

a docile pet

docilely

ˈdäs-ə(l)-lē 

adverb

docility

dä-ˈsil-ət-ē 

dō-

noun

Etymology

from Latin docilis "easily taught," from docēre "to teach" — related to doctor, doctrine