Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Ready and willing to be taught; teachable.
  • adjective Yielding to supervision, direction, or management; tractable.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Teachable; easily taught; quick to learn; amenable.
  • Tractable; easily managed or handled.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Teachable; easy to teach; docible.
  • adjective Disposed to be taught; tractable; easily managed.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Yielding to control or supervision, direction, or management.
  • adjective Ready to accept instruction or direction.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective easily handled or managed
  • adjective ready and willing to be taught
  • adjective willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin docilis, from docēre, to teach; see dek- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin docilis, from docere 'teach'.

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Examples

  • I think that the term "docile" is the term that troubles me most.

    March 2008 2008

  • I think that the term "docile" is the term that troubles me most.

    round up 2008

  • I think that the term "docile" is the term that troubles me most.

    What Everyone Else Is Saying 2008

  • You are to remain docile while in transit to the holding facility.

    365 tomorrows » 2005 » September : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2005

  • Every policy discussed to date has as its objective feeding people where they are and forcing them to remain docile, even when and if starving, by armed forces.

    Food 1946

  • Her eyes had never wandered from his face; she had stood in docile wise looking at him and answering his questions and listening, won by the commentary she read in his face on what her friend was saying.

    The Old Helmet 1864

  • -- but I have always associated the word docile with cows.

    evolver Diary Entry evolver 2004

  • As Nicholls puts it, Kauto Star, normally known as a docile and placid beast, is "mad fresh, really well in himself", having been brought to peak fitness for today's King George VI Chase at Kempton, which he has dominated over the past four years.

    Paul Nicholls has Kauto Star ready for historic King George Chase bid 2011

  • They seem to have been a somewhat negative people, generally described as docile, gentle, generous, and indolent.

    Cuba, Old and New 1893

  • For the man with one leg, it is to be said that he is more docile, which is to be desired.

    The Purchase Price Emerson Hough 1890

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