What is the Latin word for discipline?

The usual Latin words for “discipline” are disciplīna, immodestia, intemperāns; also licet. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“discipline” in Latin

disciplīnateaching, instruction, education; training; learning, knowledge, discipline, science, study immodestiaintemperate or licentious behaviour intemperānsunrestrained, intemperate; licentious licetto be allowed; to be permitted; although, even if

The English word discipline itself goes back to Latin discipulus, through disciplina.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

discipline s.

disciplina. Want of discipline, immodestia: intemperantia (want of subordination; e.g., among soldiers): licentia (want of restraint, licence). Bad domestic discipline, mala domestica disciplina: to subject anybody to severe discipline, aliquem severius coercere; aliquem tristiore disciplina continere: to preserve strict discipline, disciplinam severe regere: in his family he preserved, in little and great things alike, not only a strict, but even a severe discipline, domesticam disciplinam in parvis et majoribus rebus diligenter adeo severeque rexit: is this your discipline? or what discipline is this? quinam sunt hi mores? quaenam ista licentia est?

Military discipline, disciplinam militiae or rei militaris (Liv.): disciplina militaris (☞ In this sense, never disciplina bellica, i. e., the art of war): militiae disciplina; from context, disciplina only: severe military discipline, disciplina severa; disciplina severitasque: bad military discipline, disciplina solutior or laxior: to preserve strict military discipline, disciplinam militarem severe conservare (Liv., 39, 6); disciplinam militarem severe regere (after Suet., Caes., 48); disciplinam acerrime exigere (Suet., Tiberius, 19): *milites severa disciplina coercere: to introduce too severe a military discipline, disciplinam militarem praefractius et rigidius astringere (Valerius Max. 9, 7, 7): military discipline relaxes, ceases, disciplina solvitur, or dissolvitur, or prolabitur (Liv.): to relax, etc., military discipline, disciplinam militarem solvere (Liv.), resolvere (Cic.); disciplinam severitatemque dissolvere (Auct., B. Afr., 65): Lucio Scipio preserved a strict military discipline, disciplina militaris a Lucio Scipione severe conservabatur (Liv., 39, 6): want of discipline, immodestia: intemperantia: to restore the ancient military discipline, disciplinam militarem restituere (Liv.) or ad priscos mores redigere; antiquam duram militiam revocare (Tac.): to preserve discipline, milites coercere et in officio continere.

discipline v.

To discipline anybody, aliquem regendum suscipere: to discipline troops, milites coercere et in officio continere (of preserving discipline among them): *exercitum justae militiae or militari disciplinae assuefacere. Disciplined troops, exercitus parentior: well-disciplined troops, milites optima disciplina instituti (Liv.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for discipline?: The usual Latin words for “discipline” are disciplīna, immodestia, intemperāns; also licet. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.