docile

adjective

doc·​ile ˈdä-səl 

 also  -ˌsī(-ə)l,

 especially British  ˈdō-ˌsī(-ə)l

1

: easily taught

a docile pupil

2

: easily led or managed : tractable

a docile pony

docilely

ˈdä-sə(l)-lē 

adverb

docility

dä-ˈsi-lə-tē 

dō-

noun

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Ready to learn the origin of docile?

Docile students have always made teaching easier than it otherwise would be. Today calling students "docile" indicates that they aren't trouble-makers, but there's more than just good behavior connecting docility to teachability. The original meaning of docile is more to the point: "readily absorbing something taught." "The docile mind may soon thy precepts know," rendered Ben Jonson, for example, in a 17th-century translation of the Roman poet Horace. Docile comes from the Latin verb docēre, which means "to teach." Other descendants of docēre include doctrine (which can mean "something that is taught"), document (an early meaning of which was "instruction"), and doctor and docent (both of which can refer to teachers).

Synonyms

• amenable
• biddable
• compliant
• conformable
• law-abiding
• obedient
• submissive
• tractable

Choose the Right Synonym for docile

obedient, docile, tractable, amenable mean submissive to the will of another.

obedient implies compliance with the demands or requests of one in authority.

obedient to the government

docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance.

a docile child

tractable suggests having a character that permits easy handling or managing.

tractable animals

amenable suggests a willingness to yield or cooperate because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open-mindedness.

amenable to new ideas

Examples of docile in a Sentence

In the course of a single month, from Annie's arrival to her triumph in bridling the household despot, Helen [Keller] had grown docile, affectionate, and tirelessly intent on learning from moment to moment. —Cynthia Ozick, New Yorker, 16 & 23 June 2003

Africanized honeybees look like the European honeybees now commonly found in our gardens, and like their relatives, they make honey. They are fairly docile when they are foraging, but they defend their nests ferociously. —Lynn Ocone, Sunset, February 1994

His students were docile and eager to learn.

a docile young pony that went wherever it was led

Recent Examples on the Web

Humans still seem pretty empowered in this future, where robots are advanced enough to do everything — including developing complex emotions — but have remained a docile servant class. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024

Continued authoritarianism, corruption, incompetence, unprofessionalism, and lack of reform outrage all Ukrainians, even those in his traditionally more docile base in the east and the south. —Rajan Menon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2011

Later, the film’s producers refused to grant the movie’s art and name to the paperback version of the book — as is customary, theoretically enhancing the promotion of both properties — which incensed the usually docile Mezrich. —Simon Van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

The paintings, yes, thwart the racist stereotype that Asian women are meek and docile, but that’s not a statement Ba is trying to make. —Ann Binlot, ARTnews.com, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin docilis, from docēre to teach; akin to Latin decēre to be fitting — more at decent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

docile

adjective

doc·​ile ˈdäs-əl 

: easily taught, led, or managed

a docile pet

docilely

ˈdäs-ə(l)-lē 

adverb

docility

dä-ˈsil-ət-ē 

dō-

noun

Etymology

from Latin docilis "easily taught," from docēre "to teach" — related to doctor, doctrine