conduct

1 of 2

verb

con·​duct kən-ˈdəkt How to pronounce conduct (audio)
also
ˈkän-ˌdəkt How to pronounce conduct (audio)
conducted; conducting; conducts

transitive verb

1
a
: to direct or take part in the operation or management of
conduct an experiment
conduct a business
conduct an investigation
b
: to direct the performance of
conduct an orchestra
conduct an opera
c
: to lead from a position of command
conduct a siege
conduct a class
2
: to cause (oneself) to act or behave in a particular and especially in a controlled manner
conducted herself in a professional manner
3
: to bring by or as if by leading : guide
conduct tourists through a museum
4
a
: to convey in a channel
b
: to act as a medium for conveying or transmitting
Metals conduct electricity well.

intransitive verb

1
of a road or passage : to show the way : lead
2
a
: to act as leader or director
b
: to have the quality of transmitting light, heat, sound, or electricity
conductibility noun
conductible adjective

conduct

2 of 2

noun

con·​duct ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt How to pronounce conduct (audio)
1
: a mode or standard of personal behavior especially as based on moral principles
questionable conduct
2
: the act, manner, or process of carrying on : management
praised for his conduct of the campaign
3
obsolete : escort, guide
Choose the Right Synonym for conduct

conduct, manage, control, direct mean to use one's powers to lead, guide, or dominate.

conduct implies taking responsibility for the acts and achievements of a group.

conducted negotiations

manage implies direct handling and manipulating or maneuvering toward a desired result.

manages a meat market

control implies a regulating or restraining in order to keep within bounds or on a course.

controlling his appetite

direct implies constant guiding and regulating so as to achieve smooth operation.

directs the store's day-to-day business

synonyms see in addition behave

Examples of conduct in a Sentence

Verb The police are conducting an investigation into last week's robbery. I like the way the company conducts business. The magazine conducted a survey. Who will be conducting the meeting? The committee is expected to conduct hearings in May. He conducts the choir with great skill and emotion. conducting the music of Mozart Our guide slowly conducted us through the museum. Our guide conducted us along the path. Noun A panel investigated her conduct and she was subsequently fired. the President was happy to leave the conduct of foreign affairs to his secretary of state
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Missouri awarded 48 marijuana micro-licenses divided across the state’s eight congressional districts after the agency conducted a random lottery. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 The county conducts roughly 14,000 inspections a year, and 97% of all restaurants pass their inspections, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Bee. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conduct 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conduct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English conducten "to guide, direct," borrowed from Latin conductus, past participle of condūcere "to bring together, join, hire, be of advantage, be conducive (to)" (Medieval Latin also "to lead, escort, provide a channel for [water]") — more at conduce

Note: Middle English also used in the same senses conduiten, with variants conduten, conditen, based on Anglo-French conduit, past participle of cunduire, conduire, going back to Latin condūcere; these forms were carried into Tudor English, but they largely expired by the seventeenth century. Compare conduit. See also note at conduce.

Noun

Middle English conduct, conducte "act of escorting," borrowed from Medieval Latin conductus "leadership, escort, retinue, hire, water channel," going back to Late Latin, "contract," from Latin condūcere "to bring together, join, hire, accept a contract for" (Medieval Latin also "to lead, escort, provide a channel for [water]") + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at conduce

Note: The noun conduct has been influenced in sense by its verbal counterpart conduct. Already in the sixteenth century the noun was used to mean "leadership, management" and "capability in leadership or management, aptitude for command." The more general sense "behavior in a particular situation" appears in the seventeenth century. The sense development is largely paralleled by the history of French conduite, a nominal derivative from the feminine past participle of conduire "to guide, escort"; see also conduit and the note at conduce.

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of conduct was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near conduct

Cite this Entry

“Conduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conduct. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conduct

1 of 2 noun
con·​duct ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt How to pronounce conduct (audio)
1
: the act, manner, or process of carrying on : management
the conduct of foreign affairs
2
: personal behavior
scolded for bad conduct

conduct

2 of 2 verb
con·​duct kən-ˈdəkt How to pronounce conduct (audio)
1
: guide entry 2 sense 1, escort
conducted tourists through the museum
2
: to carry on or direct from a position of command : lead
conduct a business
conduct a band
3
a
: to carry in a channel
b
: to act as a substance through which something is carried
copper conducts electricity
4
: to cause (oneself) to act in a particular manner
conducted themselves well at the party

Medical Definition

conduct

transitive verb
con·​duct
kən-ˈdəkt also ˈkän-ˌdəkt
: to act as a medium for conveying

intransitive verb

: to have the quality of transmitting something (as light, heat, sound, or electricity)

Legal Definition

conduct

noun
con·​duct ˈkän-ˌdəkt How to pronounce conduct (audio)
1
a
: the act, manner, or process of carrying on or managing
his conduct of the case was negligent
b
: an act or omission to act
a crime is that conduct which is defined as criminalLouisiana Revised Statutes
2
: mode or standard of personal behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on conduct

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