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discipline

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word discipline distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of discipline are castigate, chasten, chastise, correct, and punish. While all these words mean "to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing," discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.

parents must discipline their children

When is castigate a more appropriate choice than discipline?

The meanings of castigate and discipline largely overlap; however, castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.

an editorial castigating the entire city council

When would chasten be a good substitute for discipline?

The synonyms chasten and discipline are sometimes interchangeable, but chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.

chastened by a landslide election defeat

When can chastise be used instead of discipline?

While the synonyms chastise and discipline are close in meaning, chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.

chastised his son for neglecting his studies

When might correct be a better fit than discipline?

While in some cases nearly identical to discipline, correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.

the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

When is it sensible to use punish instead of discipline?

The words punish and discipline can be used in similar contexts, but punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.

punished for stealing

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discipline
Noun
That effort has also involved working to build student-teacher relationships, offering alternative forms of discipline, training educators on implicit bias implicit-bias and using restorative-justice coaches to help improve conflict resolution. Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025 And this is a kind of discipline that holds the whole thing together. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
Verb
In the wake of the tariffs, which McMillon noted would result in price increases on some goods, Walmart has been under pressure to remain disciplined in managing inventory. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 16 May 2025 Students with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to discrimination by private schools and are disproportionately disciplined and excluded by charter schools. Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for discipline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discipline
Noun
  • Prioritize Communication With Department Heads Prioritizing strong relationships and consistent communication with department heads can help.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Then, there was no mass exodus, department veterans say.
    Ryan Lucas, NPR, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • On the same day she was sworn into office, Pirro unveiled on Wednesday evening the punishment for two men who carried out a broad-daylight drive-by shooting near a D.C. elementary school.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2025
  • Though itself a form of punishment, the breathalyzers were also pitched as a compromise to prevent people from losing their driving privileges entirely—something that can be devastating in a country where driving is often essential for work and daily life.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Drug companies in the U.S. face few restraints on what to charge for their products.
    David Armstrong, ProPublica, 9 May 2025
  • What Happens Next Escalating tensions between India and Pakistan have prompted calls from the U.S. and world powers urging both sides to exercise restraint and pursue diplomatic de-escalation.
    Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • And will Joe be punished by the jury for voting out his allies?
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025
  • The national opioid settlements punished pharmaceutical manufacturers and some pharmacies for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic, which began with prescription painkillers and ultimately morphed into fentanyl.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • On May 8, a hunter discovered human remains on Cedar Mountain, and after alerting authorities about the finding, law enforcement responded to the area and retrieved them, the Kane County Sheriff's Office reported this week.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • The whale had, at most, 180 retinal ganglion cells per square millimeter; humans, meanwhile, have up to about 40,000 in the same area.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • The penalty for first-time marijuana users can be as severe as up to five years in prison, even if the consumption occurred while the offender was overseas in a place where the drug is legal.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025
  • What are penalties for selling stuff without a permit? Selling things in California without a valid seller’s permit can get you into legal trouble, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
    Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • That leaves ‘financial repression’ - forcing US citizens or their agents (pension funds, insurance companies, banks) to hold US Treasuries.
    Kevin Coldiron, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
  • But mild questioning of the system in art, books, religion and online still draws police repression.
    Damien Cave, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, a personal tragedy shakes Colin into consciousness, the only element that manages to pierce Ray’s exterior long enough to let his sub in.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 May 2025
  • The common element is that a single federal judge in one of 94 regional districts paused a policy for the entire country while the case is being litigated.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discipline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discipline. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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