discipline and subject share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. discipline means “a branch of knowledge”. subject means “the subject matter of a conversation or discussion”. subject is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɪsəplən/
1.n.a branch of knowledge
“in what discipline is his doctorate?”
2.n.a system of rules of conduct or method of practice
“he quickly learned the discipline of prison routine”
3.n.the trait of being well behaved
“he insisted on discipline among the troops”
/səbˈdʒɛkt/
1.n.the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
“he didn't want to discuss that subject”
2.n.something (a person or object or scene) selected by an artist or photographer for graphic representation
“a moving picture of a train is more dramatic than a still picture of the same subject”
3.n.a branch of knowledge
“in what discipline is his doctorate?”
| discipline | subject | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪsəplən/ | /səbˈdʒɛkt/ |
| Said | DIS-uh-pluhn | suhb-JEKT |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 10 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb, adjective |
| Senses | 7 | 14 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | subject, subject area, subject field | topic, theme |
Full entry for discipline · Full entry for subject · More comparisons