disciple

noun

dis·ci·ple di-ˈsī-pəl

Synonyms of disciple next

: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: such as

Christianity : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts

: a convinced adherent of a school or individual

a disciple of Freud

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

discipleship

di-ˈsī-pəl-ˌship

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 Like any respectable disciple of the French New Wave, Lelouch gives his actors plenty of room to improvise, to get to the heart of a scene via whatever path feels natural. —

Carmel Dagan, Variety, 18 June 2024 Kerr was a disciple of San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, a coach that West held in high regard. —

Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 12 June 2024 This exhibition is an anniversary, and the opening of a dialogue to find new avenues of reflection, as much on the disciple as on his master. —

Lolita Mang, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2024 For those who truly want to reshape Washington’s overweening and militarized foreign policy, the best approach is not to engage in name-calling but to work to replace the existing foreign policy consensus and its disciples with something better. —

Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020 See all Example Sentences for disciple

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disciple.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of disciple was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Disciple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disciple. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

disciple

noun

dis·ci·ple dis-ˈī-pəl

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

: apostle sense 1a

discipleship

-ˌship

noun

Etymology

Middle English disciple "one who follows and spreads the teaching of another," from Old English discipul and early French disciple (both, same meaning), from Latin discipulus "follower of Jesus Christ in his lifetime," from earlier discipulus "pupil"

Last Updated: 6 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

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disciple

noun

Synonyms

Examples of disciple in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near disciple

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition