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.
These inspectors general would conduct initial investigations and submit their findings to the independent commission, which would conduct hearings and rule on disciplinary actions. — Collin Corbett, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Although some agencies said the officers’ Flock searches appeared to be connected to legitimate narcotics investigations or training exercises, many took swift disciplinary action. — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Matti Tedre, a computer scientist at the University of Eastern Finland and the author of a book about the disciplinary identity of the field, isn’t a fan of the Dijkstra quote as it’s usually understood. — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 Dockworkers are blocking weapons shipments, asserting the right to conscientious objection as a means of protection from unjustified charges and disciplinary action. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 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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