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.
Osman said the disciplinary crackdowns are now aimed more at institutional longevity. — Kanis Leung, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026 Kotlikoff replied at the meeting that the decision to allow the student to return to campus was made by the university’s disciplinary panel, not him. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Last year, numerous educators in the state, including school board members, posted about Kirk's death on social media and were threatened with disciplinary action by the DOE if the posts violated the state's employee conduct policies. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Last year, numerous educators in the state, including school board members, posted about Kirk’s death on social media and were threatened with disciplinary actions by the DOE if the posts violated the state’s employee conduct policies. — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 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
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