Order vs. Discipline — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 17, 2023
Order refers to a structured arrangement or system, either in the context of things or behaviors. Discipline is the practice of maintaining controlled behavior or moral principles, often through training. Order is the result, while discipline is the proce
Difference Between Order and Discipline
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Order and Discipline are two concepts that are often associated but differ fundamentally in their scope and implication. Order is the end state of organization, be it in a physical space like a room or among a group of people. It represents a system where everything has a place and purpose, and it often implies a lack of chaos or confusion.
Discipline, on the other hand, is more about the process that leads to such order. It involves the practice of training oneself to obey rules or follow established codes of behavior. Discipline is generally a self-imposed set of rules or guidelines that govern one's actions, and it's often cultivated through repetition and self-control.
When talking about Order, the focus is often external—arranging objects, directing people, or establishing systems. For example, you can impose order in a room by organizing books on a shelf or have social order by laws and regulations. Discipline, however, is internal. It is about self-regulation and the ability to control one’s impulses to achieve a particular end state, like order.
In summary, Order and Discipline are interconnected but distinct concepts. Order is more about the arrangement and systematization of things or behaviors, while Discipline is about the methods and practices that lead to such a state of order. Both are essential for a functional society and individual well-being but serve different roles in that context.
Comparison Chart
Nature
Result
Process
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Scope
External (can be internal)
Internal
Relation to Control
Imposed or self-imposed
Self-imposed
Context
Physical space, social systems
Individual behavior, moral codes
Language Form
Noun (can be a verb)
Noun (can be a verb)
Compare with Definitions
Order
Order can refer to social or civil organization.
The judge restored order in the courtroom.
Discipline
Discipline is action or inaction that is regulated to be in accordance (or to achieve accord) with a particular system of governance. Discipline is commonly applied to regulating human and animal behavior to its society or environment it belongs.
Order
The arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method
I filed the cards in alphabetical order
Discipline
Discipline is the adherence to rules or a code of behavior.
Discipline is essential in the military.
Order
An authoritative command or instruction
He was not going to take orders from a mere administrator
The skipper gave the order to abandon ship
Discipline
Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement
Was raised in the strictest discipline.
Order
A particular social, political, or economic system
They were dedicated to overthrowing the established order
Discipline
Control obtained by enforcing compliance or order
Military discipline.
Order
A society of monks, nuns, or friars living under the same religious, moral, and social regulations and discipline
The Franciscan Order
Discipline
Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control
Dieting takes a lot of discipline.
Order
The quality or nature of something
Poetry of the highest order
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to rules and authority
A teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.
Order
A principal taxonomic category that ranks below class and above family
The higher orders of insects
Discipline
Punishment intended to correct or train
Subjected to harsh discipline.
Order
Any of the five classical styles of architecture (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite) based on the proportions of columns and the style of their decoration.
Discipline
A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order.
Order
Equipment or uniform for a specified purpose or of a specified type
The platoon changed from drill order into PT kit
Discipline
A branch of knowledge or teaching
The discipline of mathematics.
Order
The degree of complexity of an equation, expression, etc., as denoted by an ordinal number.
Discipline
To train by instruction and practice, as in following rules or developing self-control
The sergeant disciplined the recruits to become soldiers.
Order
Give an authoritative instruction to do something
The judge ordered a retrial
She ordered me to leave
‘Stop frowning,’ he ordered
He ordered that the ship be abandoned
Discipline
To punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.
Order
Request (something) to be made, supplied, or served
My mate ordered the tickets last week
I asked the security guard to order me a taxi
Are you ready to order, sir?
Discipline
To impose order on
Needed to discipline their study habits.
Order
Arrange (something) in a methodical way
Her normally well-ordered life
All entries are ordered by date
Discipline
A controlled behaviour; self-control.
Order
A condition of logical or comprehensible arrangement among the separate elements of a group.
Discipline
An enforced compliance or control.
Order
A condition of methodical or prescribed arrangement among component parts such that proper functioning or appearance is achieved
Checked to see that the shipping department was in order.
Discipline
A systematic method of obtaining obedience.
Order
Condition or state in general
The escalator is in good working order.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to authority.
Order
The established system of social organization
"Every revolution exaggerates the evils of the old order" (C. Wright Mills).
Discipline
A set of rules regulating behaviour.
Order
A condition in which freedom from disorder or disruption is maintained through respect for established authority
Finally restored order in the rebellious provinces.
Discipline
A punishment to train or maintain control.
Order
A sequence or arrangement of successive things
Changed the order of the files.
Discipline
A specific branch of knowledge or learning.
Order
The prescribed form or customary procedure, as in a meeting or court of law
The bailiff called the court to order.
Discipline
A category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.
Order
An authoritative indication to be obeyed; a command or direction.
Discipline
(transitive) To train someone by instruction and practice.
Order
A command given by a superior military officer requiring obedience, as in the execution of a task.
Discipline
(transitive) To teach someone to obey authority.
Order
Orders Formal written instructions to report for military duty at a specified time and place.
Discipline
(transitive) To punish someone in order to (re)gain control.
Order
A commission or instruction to buy, sell, or supply something.
Discipline
(transitive) To impose order on someone.
Order
That which is supplied, bought, or sold.
Discipline
The treatment suited to a disciple or learner; education; development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; training, whether physical, mental, or moral.
Wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity.
Discipline aims at the removal of bad habits and the substitution of good ones, especially those of order, regularity, and obedience.
Order
A request made by a customer at a restaurant for a portion of food.
Discipline
Training to act in accordance with established rules; accustoming to systematic and regular action; drill.
Their wildness lose, and, quitting nature's part,Obey the rules and discipline of art.
Order
The food requested.
Discipline
Subjection to rule; submissiveness to order and control; habit of obedience.
The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard.
Order
(Law) A directive or command of a court.
Discipline
Severe training, corrective of faults; instruction by means of misfortune, suffering, punishment, etc.
A sharp discipline of half a century had sufficed to educate us.
Order
Any of several grades of the Christian ministry
The order of priesthood.
Discipline
Correction; chastisement; punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
Giving her the discipline of the strap.
Order
Often orders The rank of an ordained Christian minister or priest.
Discipline
The subject matter of instruction; a branch of knowledge.
Order
Often orders The sacrament or rite of ordination.
Discipline
The enforcement of methods of correction against one guilty of ecclesiastical offenses; reformatory or penal action toward a church member.
Order
Any of the nine grades or choirs of angels.
Discipline
Self-inflicted and voluntary corporal punishment, as penance, or otherwise; specifically, a penitential scourge.
Order
A group of persons living under a religious rule
Order of Saint Benedict.
Discipline
A system of essential rules and duties; as, the Romish or Anglican discipline.
Order
An organization of people united by a common fraternal bond or social aim.
Discipline
To educate; to develop by instruction and exercise; to train.
Order
A group of people upon whom a government or sovereign has formally conferred honor for unusual service or merit, entitling them to wear a special insignia
The Order of the Garter.
Discipline
To accustom to regular and systematic action; to bring under control so as to act systematically; to train to act together under orders; to teach subordination to; to form a habit of obedience in; to drill.
Ill armed, and worse disciplined.
His mind . . . imperfectly disciplined by nature.
Order
The insignia worn by such people.
Discipline
To improve by corrective and penal methods; to chastise; to correct.
Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly?
Order
Often orders A social class
The lower orders.
Discipline
To inflict ecclesiastical censures and penalties upon.
Order
A class defined by the common attributes of its members; a kind.
Discipline
A branch of knowledge;
In what discipline is his doctorate?
Teachers should be well trained in their subject
Anthropology is the study of human beings
Order
Degree of quality or importance; rank
Poetry of a high order.
Discipline
A system of rules of conduct or method of practice;
He quickly learned the discipline of prison routine
For such a plan to work requires discipline
Order
Any of several styles of classical architecture characterized by the type of column and entablature employed. Of the five generally accepted classical orders, the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders are Greek and the Tuscan and Composite orders are Roman.
Discipline
The trait of being well behaved;
He insisted on discipline among the troops
Order
A style of building
A cathedral of the Gothic order.
Discipline
Training to improve strength or self-control
Order
(Biology) A taxonomic category of organisms ranking above a family and below a class.
Discipline
The act of punishing;
The offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received
Order
The sum of the exponents to which the variables in a term are raised; degree.
Discipline
Train by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control;
Parents must discipline their children
Is this dog trained?
Order
An indicated number of successive differentiations to be performed.
Discipline
Punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience;
The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently
Order
The number of elements in a finite group.
Discipline
Discipline is the practice of training to improve strength or self-control.
He showed great discipline in his studies.
Order
The number of rows or columns in a determinant or matrix.
Discipline
Discipline refers to a field of study or expertise.
Her discipline is molecular biology.
Order
To issue a command or instruction to
Ordered the sailors to stow their gear.
Discipline
Discipline can be punishment enforced to correct disobedience.
The school has strict disciplines for tardiness.
Order
To direct to proceed as specified
Ordered the intruders off the property.
Discipline
Discipline is self-imposed control over one’s behavior.
Yoga helped her develop discipline.
Order
To give a command or instruction for
The judge ordered a recount of the ballots.
Order
To request to be supplied with
Order eggs and bacon for breakfast.
Order
To put into a methodical, systematic arrangement
Ordered the books on the shelf.
Order
To predestine; ordain.
Order
To give an order or orders; request that something be done or supplied.
Order
(countable) Arrangement, disposition, or sequence.
Put the children in age order
It's arranged in order of frequency
Order
(countable) A position in an arrangement, disposition, or sequence.
Order
(uncountable) The state of being well arranged.
The house is in order; the machinery is out of order.
Order
(countable) Conformity with law or decorum; freedom from disturbance; general tranquillity; public quiet.
To preserve order in a community or an assembly
Order in the court!
Order
(countable) A command.
Give an order
His inability to follow orders
Order
(countable) A request for some product or service; a commission to purchase, sell, or supply goods.
Make an order
Receive an online order for the new range of sunglasses
Order
(countable) A group of religious adherents, especially monks or nuns, set apart within their religion by adherence to a particular rule or set of principles.
St. Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuit order in 1537.
Order
(countable) An association of knights.
The Order of the Garter, the Order of the Bath.
Order
Any group of people with common interests.
Order
(countable) A decoration, awarded by a government, a dynastic house, or a religious body to an individual, usually for distinguished service to a nation or to humanity.
Order
A category in the classification of organisms, ranking below class and above family; a taxon at that rank.
The magnolia and nutmeg families belong to the order Magnoliales.
Order
A number of things or persons arranged in a fixed or suitable place, or relative position; a rank; a row; a grade; especially, a rank or class in society; a distinct character, kind, or sort.
The higher or lower orders of society
Talent of a high order
Order
(Christianity) An ecclesiastical rank or position, usually for the sake of ministry, when plural holy orders.
There have been many major and minor orders in the history of Christianity: the order of virgins, of deacons, priests, lectors, acolytes, porters, catechists, widows, etc.
To take orders or holy orders means to be ordained a deacon or priest
Order
(architecture) The disposition of a column and its component parts, and of the entablature resting upon it, in classical architecture; hence (since the column and entablature are the characteristic features of classical architecture) a style or manner of architectural design.
Order
(cricket) The sequence in which a side’s batsmen bat; the batting order.
Order
(electronics) A power of polynomial function in an electronic circuit’s block, such as a filter, an amplifier, etc.
A 3-stage cascade of a 2nd-order bandpass Butterworth filter
Order
(chemistry) The overall power of the rate law of a chemical reaction, expressed as a polynomial function of concentrations of reactants and products.
Order
(set theory) The cardinality, or number of elements in a set, group, or other structure regardable as a set.
Order
For given group G and element g ∈ G, the smallest positive natural number n, if it exists, such that (using multiplicative notation), gn = e, where e is the identity element of G; if no such number exists, the element is said to be of infinite order (or sometimes zero order).
Order
(graph theory) The number of vertices in a graph.
Order
(order theory) A partially ordered set.
Order
(order theory) The relation on a partially ordered set that determines that it is, in fact, a partially ordered set.
Order
(algebra) The sum of the exponents on the variables in a monomial, or the highest such among all monomials in a polynomial.
A quadratic polynomial, is said to be of order (or degree) 2.
Order
(finance) A written direction to furnish someone with money or property; compare money order, postal order.
Order
(transitive) To set in some sort of order.
We need to order them alphabetically.
Order
(transitive) To arrange, set in proper order.
The books in the shelf need ordering.
Order
(transitive) To issue a command to.
To order troops to advance
He ordered me to leave.
I hate being ordered around by my co-workers.
Order
(transitive) To request some product or service; to secure by placing an order.
You can now order most products to be delivered to your home.
To order groceries
To order food from a restaurant
Order
To admit to holy orders; to ordain; to receive into the ranks of the ministry.
Order
Regular arrangement; any methodical or established succession or harmonious relation; method; system
The side chambers were . . . thirty in order.
Bright-harnessed angels sit in order serviceable.
Good order is the foundation of all good things.
Order
Right arrangement; a normal, correct, or fit condition; as, the house is in order; the machinery is out of order.
Order
The customary mode of procedure; established system, as in the conduct of debates or the transaction of business; usage; custom; fashion.
And, pregnant with his grander thought,Brought the old order into doubt.
Order
Conformity with law or decorum; freedom from disturbance; general tranquillity; public quiet; as, to preserve order in a community or an assembly.
Order
That which prescribes a method of procedure; a rule or regulation made by competent authority; as, the rules and orders of the senate.
The church hath authority to establish that for an order at one time which at another time it may abolish.
Order
A command; a mandate; a precept; a direction.
Upon this new fright, an order was made by both houses for disarming all the papists in England.
Order
Hence: A commission to purchase, sell, or supply goods; a direction, in writing, to pay money, to furnish supplies, to admit to a building, a place of entertainment, or the like; as, orders for blankets are large.
In those days were pit orders - beshrew the uncomfortable manager who abolished them.
Order
A number of things or persons arranged in a fixed or suitable place, or relative position; a rank; a row; a grade; especially, a rank or class in society; a group or division of men in the same social or other position; also, a distinct character, kind, or sort; as, the higher or lower orders of society; talent of a high order.
They are in equal order to their several ends.
Various orders various ensigns bear.
Which, to his order of mind, must have seemed little short of crime.
Order
A body of persons having some common honorary distinction or rule of obligation; esp., a body of religious persons or aggregate of convents living under a common rule; as, the Order of the Bath; the Franciscan order.
Find a barefoot brother out,One of our order, to associate me.
The venerable order of the Knights Templars.
Order
An ecclesiastical grade or rank, as of deacon, priest, or bishop; the office of the Christian ministry; - often used in the plural; as, to take orders, or to take holy orders, that is, to enter some grade of the ministry.
Order
The disposition of a column and its component parts, and of the entablature resting upon it, in classical architecture; hence (as the column and entablature are the characteristic features of classical architecture) a style or manner of architectural designing.
Order
An assemblage of genera having certain important characters in common; as, the Carnivora and Insectivora are orders of Mammalia.
Order
The placing of words and members in a sentence in such a manner as to contribute to force and beauty or clearness of expression.
Order
Rank; degree; thus, the order of a curve or surface is the same as the degree of its equation.
Whiles I take order for mine own affairs.
Order
To put in order; to reduce to a methodical arrangement; to arrange in a series, or with reference to an end. Hence, to regulate; to dispose; to direct; to rule.
To him that ordereth his conversation aright.
Warriors old with ordered spear and shield.
Order
To give an order to; to command; as, to order troops to advance.
Order
To give an order for; to secure by an order; as, to order a carriage; to order groceries.
Order
To admit to holy orders; to ordain; to receive into the ranks of the ministry.
These ordered folk be especially titled to God.
Persons presented to be ordered deacons.
Order
To give orders; to issue commands.
Order
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed;
The British ships dropped anchor and waited for orders from London
Order
A degree in a continuum of size or quantity;
It was on the order of a mile
An explosion of a low order of magnitude
Order
Established customary state (especially of society);
Order ruled in the streets
Law and order
Order
Logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements;
We shall consider these questions in the inverse order of their presentation
Order
A condition of regular or proper arrangement;
He put his desk in order
The machine is now in working order
Order
A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge);
A friend in New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there
Order
A commercial document used to request someone to supply something in return for payment and providing specifications and quantities;
IBM received an order for a hundred computers
Order
A formal association of people with similar interests;
He joined a golf club
They formed a small lunch society
Men from the fraternal order will staff the soup kitchen today
Order
A body of rules followed by an assembly
Order
(usually plural) the status or rank or office of a Christian clergyman in an ecclesiastical hierarchy;
Theologians still disagree over whether `bishop' should or should not be a separate order
Order
A group of person living under a religious rule;
The order of Saint Benedict
Order
(biology) taxonomic group containing one or more families
Order
A request for food or refreshment (as served in a restaurant or bar etc.);
I gave the waiter my order
Order
(architecture) one of original three styles of Greek architecture distinguished by the type of column and entablature used or a style developed from the original three by the Romans
Order
Putting in order;
There were mistakes in the ordering of items on the list
Order
Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority;
I said to him to go home
She ordered him to do the shopping
The mother told the child to get dressed
Order
Make a request for something;
Order me some flowers
Order a work stoppage
Order
Issue commands or orders for
Order
Bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations;
We cannot regulate the way people dress
This town likes to regulate
Order
Bring order to or into;
Order these files
Order
Place in a certain order;
Order these files
Order
Appoint to a clerical posts;
He was ordained in the Church
Order
Arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events, etc.;
Arrange my schedule
Set up one's life
I put these memories with those of bygone times
Order
Assign a rank or rating to;
How would you rank these students?
The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide
Order
Order is the arrangement of things in a systematic way.
She arranged the books in alphabetical order.
Order
Order is a command or directive given by an authority.
The general gave the order to advance.
Order
Order in mathematics refers to the size relation between numbers.
Arrange the numbers in ascending order.
Order
Order can mean a category or rank in a system.
The animal belongs to the order of mammals.
Common Curiosities
What is Order?
Order is a structured arrangement or system, often lacking in chaos.
What is Discipline?
Discipline is the practice of maintaining controlled behavior or following moral principles.
Is Discipline always self-imposed?
Most often, yes. Discipline generally involves self-control.
Is Order only external?
Generally yes, though mental or emotional order also exists.
How do Order and Discipline differ?
Order is the result or end state, while Discipline is the process leading to it.
Is Discipline always strict?
Not necessarily; discipline varies depending on the goal.
Is Discipline common in the military?
Yes, discipline is a fundamental military value.
Is Discipline a verb?
It can be, as in to "discipline a child."
Can Order exist without Discipline?
Temporarily, yes, but maintaining order often requires discipline.
Can you have Discipline without Order?
Discipline can exist without order but usually aims to create order.
Is Order always preferred?
Generally, yes, though some creativity thrives in chaos.
What are ‘Disciplines’ in academia?
They are specific fields of study, such as Physics or History.
Can Order be established quickly?
It depends on the context; some situations require time and discipline to establish order.
What is ‘Law and Order’?
It refers to a state where laws are followed and social harmony exists.
Is Order a verb?
It can be, as in to "order a meal" or "order troops."
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
