Meaning & use
disciple
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person who follows and helps spread the teachings of a religious leader, especially Jesus.
Grammar: Often capitalized when referring to the twelve followers of Jesus: the Twelve Disciples.
Patterns
- a disciple of someone
- one of the disciples
- become a disciple
Peter was one of Jesus's closest disciples.
The disciples traveled with their teacher to spread his message.
She became a disciple of the famous guru.
nouncountableformal
A devoted follower or student of any teacher, leader, or philosophy.
Grammar: Can be used for non-religious contexts, often with a slightly formal or literary tone.
Patterns
- a disciple of someone
- a disciple of an idea
- a loyal disciple
He was a disciple of the great economist and adopted his theories.
The artist had many disciples who copied his style.
As a young disciple of the movement, she attended every meeting.
Word forms
| plural | disciples |
|---|
Common combinations
- a disciple of
- He was a disciple of the famous philosopher.
- the twelve disciples
- The twelve disciples were Jesus's closest followers.
- become a disciple
- After the retreat, she decided to become a disciple.
- a devoted disciple
- He remained a devoted disciple of the old master.
Synonyms and how they differ
- follower
- More general; a follower can follow anyone, while a disciple often implies learning and spreading teachings.
- student
- Focuses on learning from a teacher; disciple adds a sense of commitment and spreading the message.
- apostle
- In Christianity, apostle often refers to the twelve leaders sent out by Jesus; disciple is broader.
- adherent
- Formal; a person who supports a particular party or set of ideas, not necessarily a personal follower.
Opposites
Word family
- discipleship noun
- The state or period of being a disciple.
- disciplinarian noun
- A person who enforces strict discipline (unrelated meaning).
Commonly confused: disciple or discipline?
disciple vs discipline
Discipline is training or punishment; disciple is a follower. They share a root but have different meanings.
Practice
In the Bible, Jesus had twelve close followers known as his ___.
Choose one answer.
'Disciples' means followers and fits the context of Jesus's followers. 'Disciplines' means areas of study or training, 'discipleship' is the state of being a disciple, and 'disciplinarians' are people who enforce discipline.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disciple”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.