disciples

Disciples are followers or students of a teacher, master, or doctrine. The word derives from the Latin discipulus, meaning learner, pupil, or student, from discere, to learn. In general use, a disciple is someone who adopts a mentor's beliefs and seeks to learn from them.

In Christian contexts, the term most often refers to Jesus's followers. The Twelve Apostles are among the best known disciples, though the Gospels also mention other disciples and women who traveled with Jesus. The distinction between disciple and apostle is nuanced: an apostle is a messenger sent with a mission, while a disciple is a learner or adherent. In early Christianity, discipleship continued within the church as believers followed teaching and guidance from leaders and scripture.

In other religious and philosophical traditions, disciples are students and followers of a spiritual teacher or master. In Buddhism, the Buddha's disciples include monks and lay followers who study his teachings. In Hinduism and Sikhism, the terms shishya and murid describe a devotee who receives instruction from a guru within a lineage (parampara). The concept also appears in modern usage to denote followers of a philosophy, movement, or artistic method.

Discipleship denotes the ongoing process of learning and adhering to a teacher's guidance, often within a formal or structured lineage, and can be applied to many domains beyond religion.