disciplinary

adjective

dis·​ci·​plin·​ary ˈdi-sə-plə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce disciplinary (audio)
especially British ˌdi-sə-ˈpli-nə-rē
Synonyms of disciplinarynext
1
a
: of or relating to discipline
disciplinary problems
b
: designed to correct or punish disobedient or defiant behavior
took disciplinary action
2
: of or relating to a particular field of study
academic disciplinary specialization
disciplinarily
ˌdi-sə-plə-ˈner-ə-lē How to pronounce disciplinary (audio)
adverb
disciplinarity
ˌdi-sə-plə-ˈner-ə-tē How to pronounce disciplinary (audio)
noun

Synonyms of disciplinary

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Examples of disciplinary in a Sentence

The committee is considering disciplinary measures against him. called for disciplinary actions in response to the outrageous behavior
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The program of participants brings together a cross-disciplinary group of artists and thinkers. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 June 2026 Violations will result in disciplinary action, the email stated. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Someone who is late, absent or struggling physically may need support before the situation becomes disciplinary. — Seth Turner, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 One person left the BBC before the corporation made a decision on disciplinary action. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disciplinary

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin disciplīnārius, from Latin disciplīna "teaching, discipline entry 1" + -ārius -ary entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of disciplinary was in the 15th century

Rhymes for disciplinary

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Browse Nearby Words

disciplinarity
disciplinary
disciplinary barracks
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Cite this Entry

“Disciplinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disciplinary. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

disciplinary

adjective
dis·​ci·​plin·​ary ˈdis-ə-plə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce disciplinary (audio)
: of or relating to discipline : corrective
take disciplinary action

More from Merriam-Webster on disciplinary

Nglish: Translation of disciplinary for Spanish Speakers

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