Branch vs. Discipline — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 8, 2024
A branch is a subdivision within a larger field or organization, while a discipline is a distinct field of study or practice with its own methods and principles. A branch usually signifies a subset, whereas a discipline represents an entire specialized do
Difference Between Branch and Discipline
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A branch usually refers to a smaller subset or offshoot within a larger system, such as a branch of government or a branch of a business. A discipline, however, is an entire field of study or practice, like physics or psychology, with distinct methodologies.
Branches often denote specific subdivisions, such as in science where biology is a branch of natural sciences. Disciplines are broader and encompass the entire study area, like biology itself being a discipline.
Branches may share overlapping elements and structures with their parent organization. For instance, a company branch maintains similar policies as the main office. In contrast, disciplines generally maintain distinctive principles and methodologies.
In technical usage, branches are applied across various sectors like engineering or the military to denote subdivisions. Disciplines, however, are more academically rooted, often signifying a whole area of intellectual pursuit.
Branches usually imply hierarchy and relationship with a larger body, whereas disciplines stand on their own as comprehensive domains, influencing curricula, careers, and methodologies.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Subdivision within a larger system
Comprehensive field of study
Usage Context
Organizations, fields, governments
Academic and professional domains
Example
Government branch
Physics discipline
Scope
Narrower, focused
Broader, encompasses entire field
Hierarchy
Implies relationship to parent body
Independent, comprehensive domain
Compare with Definitions
Branch
A part of a tree growing out of its trunk.
The squirrel scampered across a sturdy branch.
Discipline
A field of study or branch of knowledge.
Economics is a discipline studied by many social scientists.
Branch
An offshoot or extension of something larger.
The math club is a branch of the school's extracurricular program.
Discipline
Training or control to improve behavior or performance.
The soldier's strict discipline made him an effective leader.
Branch
A category within a broader discipline.
Pediatrics is a branch of medicine focused on children's health.
Discipline
A set of rules or methods followed to achieve a goal.
Daily exercise requires a high level of discipline.
Branch
A stream or creek tributary to a larger river.
They fished in a small branch off the main river.
Discipline
Punishment intended to correct or train behavior.
The coach used discipline to improve team performance.
Branch
A subdivision or section of an organization.
He works at the regional branch of the bank.
Discipline
A method of practice involving learning and self-control.
Martial arts training fosters both physical skills and mental discipline.
Branch
A branch (UK: or UK: , US: ) or tree branch (sometimes referred to in botany as a ramus) is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs.
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.
Branch
A part of a tree which grows out from the trunk or from a bough
Sophie was in the branches of a tree eating an apple
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.
Branch
(of a road or path) divide into one or more subdivisions
Follow this track south until it branches into two
Discipline
Control obtained by enforcing compliance or order
Military discipline.
Branch
(of a tree or plant) bear or send out branches
This rose has a tendency to branch and spread at the top
The branching heads of large yellow daisies
Discipline
Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control
Dieting takes a lot of discipline.
Branch
A secondary woody stem or limb growing from the trunk or main stem of a tree or shrub or from another secondary limb.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to rules and authority
A teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.
Branch
A lateral division or subdivision of certain other plant parts, such as a root or flower cluster.
Discipline
Punishment intended to correct or train
Subjected to harsh discipline.
Branch
A secondary outgrowth or subdivision of a main axis, such as the tine of a deer's antlers.
Discipline
A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order.
Branch
(Anatomy) An offshoot or a division of the main portion of a structure, especially that of a nerve, blood vessel, or lymphatic vessel; a ramus.
Discipline
A branch of knowledge or teaching
The discipline of mathematics.
Branch
An area of specialized skill or knowledge, especially academic or vocational, that is related to but separate from other areas
The judicial branch of government.
The branch of medicine called neurology.
Discipline
To train by instruction and practice, as in following rules or developing self-control
The sergeant disciplined the recruits to become soldiers.
Branch
A division of a business or other organization.
Discipline
To punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.
Branch
A division of a family, categorized by descent from a particular ancestor.
Discipline
To impose order on
Needed to discipline their study habits.
Branch
(Linguistics) A subdivision of a family of languages, such as the Germanic branch of Indo-European.
Discipline
A controlled behaviour; self-control.
Branch
A tributary of a river.
Discipline
An enforced compliance or control.
Branch
Chiefly Southern US See creek. See Note at run.
Discipline
A systematic method of obtaining obedience.
Branch
A divergent section of a river, especially near the mouth.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to authority.
Branch
(Mathematics) A part of a curve that is separated, as by discontinuities or extreme points.
Discipline
A set of rules regulating behaviour.
Branch
A sequence of program instructions to which the normal sequence of instructions relinquishes control, depending on the value of certain variables.
Discipline
A punishment to train or maintain control.
Branch
The instructions executed as the result of such a passing of control.
Discipline
A specific branch of knowledge or learning.
Branch
(Chemistry) A bifurcation in a linear chain of atoms, especially in an organic molecule where isomeric hydrocarbon groups can vary in the location and number of these bifurcations of the carbon chain.
Discipline
A category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.
Branch
To put forth a branch or branches; spread by dividing.
Discipline
(transitive) To train someone by instruction and practice.
Branch
To come forth as a branch or subdivision; develop or diverge from
An unpaved road that branches from the main road.
A theory that branches from an older system of ideas.
Discipline
(transitive) To teach someone to obey authority.
Branch
(Computers) To relinquish control to another set of instructions or another routine as a result of the presence of a branch.
Discipline
(transitive) To punish someone in order to (re)gain control.
Branch
To separate (something) into branches.
Discipline
(transitive) To impose order on someone.
Branch
To embroider (something) with a design of foliage or flowers.
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.
Branch
The woody part of a tree arising from the trunk and usually dividing.
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.
Branch
Any of the parts of something that divides like the branch of a tree.
The branch of an antler, a chandelier, or a railway
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.
Branch
A creek or stream which flows into a larger river.
Branch water
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.
Branch
(geometry) One of the portions of a curve that extends outwards to an indefinitely great distance.
The branches of a hyperbola
Discipline
Correction; chastisement; punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
Giving her the discipline of the strap.
Branch
A location of an organization with several locations.
Our main branch is downtown, and we have branches in all major suburbs.
Discipline
The subject matter of instruction; a branch of knowledge.
Branch
A line of family descent, in distinction from some other line or lines from the same stock; any descendant in such a line.
The English branch of a family
Discipline
The enforcement of methods of correction against one guilty of ecclesiastical offenses; reformatory or penal action toward a church member.
Branch
(Mormonism) A local congregation of the LDS Church that is not large enough to form a ward; see Wikipedia article on ward in LDS church.
Discipline
Self-inflicted and voluntary corporal punishment, as penance, or otherwise; specifically, a penitential scourge.
Branch
An area in business or of knowledge, research.
Discipline
A system of essential rules and duties; as, the Romish or Anglican discipline.
Branch
(nautical) A certificate given by Trinity House to a pilot qualified to take navigational control of a ship in British waters.
Discipline
To educate; to develop by instruction and exercise; to train.
Branch
(computing) A sequence of code that is conditionally executed.
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.
Branch
(computing) A group of related files in a source control system, including for example source code, build scripts, and media such as images.
Discipline
To improve by corrective and penal methods; to chastise; to correct.
Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly?
Branch
(rail transport) A branch line.
Discipline
To inflict ecclesiastical censures and penalties upon.
Branch
(intransitive) To arise from the trunk or a larger branch of a tree.
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
Branch
(intransitive) To produce branches.
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
Branch
(ambitransitive) To (cause to) divide into separate parts or subdivisions.
Discipline
The trait of being well behaved;
He insisted on discipline among the troops
Branch
To jump to a different location in a program, especially as the result of a conditional statement.
Discipline
Training to improve strength or self-control
Branch
(transitive) To strip of branches.
Discipline
The act of punishing;
The offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received
Branch
To discipline (a union member) at a branch meeting.
Discipline
Train by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control;
Parents must discipline their children
Is this dog trained?
Branch
A shoot or secondary stem growing from the main stem, or from a principal limb or bough of a tree or other plant.
Discipline
Punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience;
The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently
Branch
Any division extending like a branch; any arm or part connected with the main body of thing; ramification; as, the branch of an antler; the branch of a chandelier; a branch of a river; a branch of a railway.
Most of the branches , or streams, were dried up.
Branch
Any member or part of a body or system; a distinct article; a section or subdivision; a department.
It is a branch and parcel of mine oath.
Branch
One of the portions of a curve that extends outwards to an indefinitely great distance; as, the branches of an hyperbola.
Branch
A line of family descent, in distinction from some other line or lines from the same stock; any descendant in such a line; as, the English branch of a family.
His father, a younger branch of the ancient stock.
Branch
A warrant or commission given to a pilot, authorizing him to pilot vessels in certain waters.
Branch
Diverging from, or tributary to, a main stock, line, way, theme, etc.; as, a branch vein; a branch road or line; a branch topic; a branch store.
Branch
To shoot or spread in branches; to separate into branches; to ramify.
Branch
To divide into separate parts or subdivision.
To branch out into a long disputation.
Branch
To divide as into branches; to make subordinate division in.
Branch
To adorn with needlework representing branches, flowers, or twigs.
The train whereof loose far behind her strayed,Branched with gold and pearl, most richly wrought.
Branch
An administrative division of some larger or more complex organization;
A branch of Congress
Branch
A division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant
Branch
A part of a forked or branching shape;
He broke off one of the branches
They took the south fork
Branch
A natural consequence of development
Branch
A stream or river connected to a larger one
Branch
Any projection that is thought to resemble an arm;
The arm of the record player
An arm of the sea
A branch of the sewer
Branch
Grow and send out branches or branch-like structures;
These plants ramify early and get to be very large
Branch
Divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork;
The road forks
Common Curiosities
Is a branch always smaller than a discipline?
Typically, yes. Branches usually denote subdivisions within broader disciplines.
Are branches only used in business contexts?
No, branches can be found in various contexts, like government, science, and organizations.
Do branches and disciplines overlap in usage?
They can, especially in academia, where the terms are used interchangeably at times.
Can a discipline have multiple branches?
Yes, disciplines often encompass several branches or specializations.
Are disciplines fixed or evolving?
Disciplines evolve over time as new knowledge emerges and methodologies improve.
Is a branch always a direct subset of a discipline?
Often, but not necessarily. Some branches relate to larger concepts that are not strictly disciplines.
Can a branch become a discipline?
Yes, a branch can evolve into a discipline if it grows in scope and depth.
Can someone master multiple branches within a discipline?
Yes, specialists can master several branches within their field of study.
Are branches hierarchical in nature?
Often, branches imply a relationship with a parent organization or field.
Is discipline related to self-control or academic study?
Both. Discipline refers to controlled behavior as well as an academic field.
Is discipline more focused on rules or knowledge?
In an academic context, discipline focuses on knowledge. In behavior, it refers to rules.
Do branches adhere to the same methodologies as disciplines?
Branches typically follow the principles of their parent discipline but may have specialized methods.
Can branches specialize further within themselves?
Yes, sub-branches or sub-specialties often exist within broader branches.
Are all disciplines academic in nature?
Not all, but most disciplines are rooted in academic or intellectual pursuits.
Can someone be an expert in both a discipline and its branches?
Yes, expertise can span both a discipline and its specific branches.
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Written by
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.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
