self-discipline.

The ability to control your own actions and keep working toward a goal without needing immediate outside pressure.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• exercise self-discipline
• develop self-discipline

On the page

Self-discipline kept her returning to the draft when the initial excitement faded.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / human behavior. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.