conduct

[ noun kon-duhkt; verb kuhn-duhkt ]

noun

1. personal behavior; way of acting; bearing or deportment.

   Synonyms: actions, comportment, demeanor, manners

2. direction or management; administration:

   the conduct of a business.

   Synonyms: government, guidance

3. the act of conducting; guidance:

   The curator's conduct through the museum was informative.

4. Obsolete. a guide; an escort.

verb (used with object)

1. to behave or manage (oneself):

   He conducted himself well.

   Synonyms: bear, deport

2. to direct in action or course; manage; carry on: to conduct a test.

   to conduct a meeting;

   to conduct a test.

   Synonyms: administer, supervise

3. to direct (an orchestra, chorus, etc.) as leader.
4. to lead or guide; escort:

   to conduct a tour.

5. to serve as a channel or medium for (heat, electricity, sound, etc.):

   Copper conducts electricity.

verb (used without object)

1. to lead.
2. to act as conductor, or leader of a musical group, by communicating a specific interpretation of the music to the performers by motions of a baton or the hands.

conduct

noun

1. the manner in which a person behaves; behaviour
2. the way of managing a business, affair, etc; handling
3. rare.
   the act of guiding or leading
4. rare.
   a guide or leader

verb

1. tr to accompany and guide (people, a party, etc) (esp in the phrase conducted tour )
2. tr to lead or direct (affairs, business, etc); control
3. tr to do or carry out

   conduct a survey

4. tr to behave or manage (oneself)

   the child conducted himself well

5. to control or guide (an orchestra, choir, etc) by the movements of the hands or a baton Also (esp US)direct
6. to transmit (heat, electricity, etc)

   metals conduct heat

Derived Forms

• conˈductible, adjective
• conˌductiˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• con·duct·i·ble adjective
• con·duct·i·bil·i·ty [k, uh, n-duhk-t, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• non·con·duc·ti·bil·i·ty noun
• non·con·duc·ti·ble adjective
• pre·con·duct verb (used with object)
• re·con·duct verb (used with object)
• un·con·duct·i·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conduct¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin conductus “escort,” noun use of Latin conductus (past participle of condūcere “to lead, bring together”), equivalent to con- con- + duc- “to lead” + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Middle English conduyt(e), from Anglo-French, from Latin as above; conduit; conduce

Word History and Origins

Origin of conduct¹

C15: from Medieval Latin conductus escorted, from Latin: drawn together, from condūcere to conduce

Synonym Study

See behavior.

Example Sentences

A survey conducted in mid-October by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California pinpointed the economy, including jobs and the cost of living, as the most pressing issue for state residents.

From Los Angeles Times

Monday and the drawing will be conducted between 9 and 9:30 a.m, the Los Angeles Superior Court announced Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times

“The playing field is not level because of Google’s conduct, and Google’s quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired,” the filing says.

From Los Angeles Times

Children aged between three and seven who are slower at acquiring skills to manage their intense emotions were also found to be at risk of displaying more conduct issues.

From Science Daily

Geological Survey, was conducted using cutting-edge geospatial data and modeling tools developed in collaboration with academic institutions and government agencies.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• attend
• control
• direct
• handle
• keep
• manage
• operate
• order
• organize
• oversee
• regulate
• run
• supervise

When To Use

What are other ways to say conduct?

To conduct oneself is to behave or manage oneself. To conduct a tour is to lead or guide it. How does conduct compare to synonyms guide, direct, and lead? Find out on Thesaurus.com.