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disciple

noun
dis·​ci·​ple | \ di-ˈsī-pəl How to pronounce disciple (audio) \

Definition of disciple

1 : one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: such as
a Christianity : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts
b : a convinced adherent of a school or individual a disciple of Freud
2 capitalized, Christianity : a member of the Disciples of Christ founded in the U.S. in 1809 that holds the Bible alone to be the rule of faith and practice, usually baptizes by immersion, and has a congregational (see congregational sense 3) polity
Other Words from disciple Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about disciple

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Other Words from disciple

discipleship \ di-​ˈsī-​pəl-​ˌship How to pronounce discipleship (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for disciple

follower, adherent, disciple, partisan mean one who gives full loyalty and support to another. follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another. an evangelist and his followers adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment. adherents to Marxism disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master. disciples of Gandhi partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment. partisans of the President

Examples of disciple in a Sentence

a disciple of Sigmund Freud a circle of dedicated disciples who conscientiously wrote down everything the prophet said

Recent Examples on the Web

 Longo, who was last the OC at Ole Miss, is an Air Raid disciple who is also incorporating a power run game into the mix. — Max Meyer, SI.com, "College Football Week 2 Best Bets: Home Underdogs Barking vs. Florida Powerhouses," 5 Sep. 2019 Historians think this is unlikely, since Rajneesh, revered by his followers, was mostly filmed driving one of his Rolls-Royces, speaking to his disciples while sitting in a white high-back chair in a huge lecture hall or appearing in court. — oregonlive.com, "Guardhouse from ‘Wild Wild Country’ commune for sale at $8,000," 10 Aug. 2019 Discussing errant members of the community, Christ advises his disciples to counsel wrongdoers and attempt to bring them back into the fold. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘I confess': should the ‘seal of the confessional’ protect pedophiles?," 4 Aug. 2019 The answer here lies in Chapter Four of Zhuangzi 1, a foundational book of Daoism, in which the author relates a conversation between Confucius and his disciple, Yan Hui. — Nikhil Sonnad, Quartz, "How to not watch the second 2020 Democratic primary debates," 31 July 2019 Note that both Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were disciples of Mohandas Gandhi, and his philosophy of non-violence. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Kindness for all living things a mark of civilized society," 15 Aug. 2019 That very sequence, as disciples of the Air Raid would tell you, is the entire point. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "A new, simpler offense gives USC hope it can rebound from 2018," 1 Aug. 2019 Deanna's disciples include a sweetly smitten frat boy (Luke Benward), whose infatuation with her provides one of the movie's few narrative wrinkles. — Glenn Whipp, latimes.com, "In 'Life of the Party,' Melissa McCarthy goes back to school and it's kind of a dream," 10 May 2018 Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright disciple Herb DeLevie, this midcentury gem is full of quirky details. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Quirky midcentury home by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice asks $550K," 29 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disciple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of disciple

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for disciple

Middle English, "follower of Jesus, one of the apostles, pupil," in part going back to Old English discipul, in part borrowed from Anglo-French disciple, both borrowed from Late Latin discipulus "follower of Christ, apostle" (translation of Greek mathētḗs), going back to Latin, "pupil, learner," of uncertain origin

Note: Traditionally explained as a derivative of discere "to learn," but the second element -pulus is neither a known word nor a suffix. According to an alternative explanation, the base is nominalized from an unattested verb *discipere, putatively, "to grasp, comprehend," from dis- dis- and capere "to take, seize" (cf. disceptāre "to dispute, debate," supposedly a frequentative from this verb); this is semantically questionable, however, and -ulus is any case not an agentive suffix.

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More Definitions for disciple

disciple

noun
How to pronounce disciple (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of disciple

: someone who accepts and helps to spread the teachings of a famous person
: one of a group of 12 men who were sent out to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ

See the full definition for disciple in the English Language Learners Dictionary

disciple

noun
dis·​ci·​ple | \ di-ˈsī-pəl How to pronounce disciple (audio) \

Kids Definition of disciple

1 : a person who accepts and helps to spread the teachings of another
2 : apostle

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