as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
it takes self-discipline not to yell out when someone makes you angry
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Recent Examples of self-discipline
During this time, the faithful devote themselves to prayer, charitable deeds, fasting and other forms of self-discipline.
—
Christina Fan, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
At its core, the idea is not to withdraw from society but to protect it by cultivating self-control and self-discipline in everyday life.
—Irfan Sarwar, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Jackson traveled the country preaching self-esteem and self-discipline.
—Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
During Lent, the faithful devote themselves to prayer and other devotions, as well as charitable deeds, fasting and other forms of self-discipline.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-discipline
Christina Fan, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
At its core, the idea is not to withdraw from society but to protect it by cultivating self-control and self-discipline in everyday life.
—Irfan Sarwar, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Jackson traveled the country preaching self-esteem and self-discipline.
—Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
During Lent, the faithful devote themselves to prayer and other devotions, as well as charitable deeds, fasting and other forms of self-discipline.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-discipline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-discipline
Noun
-
Hegseth came out of his own service, in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the seeming conviction that what had stood in the way of a fuller victory in those wars had been the restraints supposedly placed on how soldiers could kill.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In a culture that rewards fast takes, that kind of restraint is rare.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the first clues that the conventional wisdom about willpower was wrong came in 2015.—
Francine Russo,
Scientific American,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This isn’t something willpower can fix.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-discipline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-discipline. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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