conduct
[noun kon-duhkt; verb kuh n-duhkt]
- personal behavior; way of acting; bearing or deportment.
- direction or management; execution: the conduct of a business.
- the act of conducting; guidance; escort: The curator's conduct through the museum was informative.
- Obsolete. a guide; an escort.
- to behave or manage (oneself): He conducted himself well.
- to direct in action or course; manage; carry on: to conduct a meeting; to conduct a test.
- to direct (an orchestra, chorus, etc.) as leader.
- to lead or guide; escort: to conduct a tour.
- to serve as a channel or medium for (heat, electricity, sound, etc.): Copper conducts electricity.
- to lead.
- to act as conductor, or leader of a musical group, by communicating to the performers by motions of a baton or the hands his or her interpretation of the music.
Origin of conduct
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com1. demeanor, comportment, actions, manners. 2. guidance, administration. 5. deport, bear. 6. supervise, administer.
Synonym study
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for conduct
Contemporary Examples
There is, however, a separate wing of AQAP designed to inspire their followers to conduct attacks against the West.
Together, they crossed over the International Bridges on foot into Juarez to conduct some business.
Before his writing days, London used the Oakland establishment to conduct his studies.
Were they innocent victims or did they conduct themselves in a manner that would naturally lead to their demise?
I pledge to conduct a full and fair investigation and to give the grand jury all of the information necessary to do its job.
Historical Examples
So certain was he as to the exact locality, that he offered to conduct a party to the place.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
A party of fugitives were to meet her in a wood, that she might conduct them North.
Harriet, The Moses of Her PeopleSarah H. Bradford
Sent her back her letters—with a tickler to herself on her conduct.
At least they will be my standard of conduct in the path before me.
How little has been the effect of this example on the conduct of the enemy!
conduct
- the manner in which a person behaves; behaviour
- the way of managing a business, affair, etc; handling
- rare the act of guiding or leading
- rare a guide or leader
- (tr) to accompany and guide (people, a party, etc) (esp in the phrase conducted tour)
- (tr) to lead or direct (affairs, business, etc); control
- (tr) to do or carry outconduct a survey
- (tr) to behave or manage (oneself)the child conducted himself well
- to control or guide (an orchestra, choir, etc) by the movements of the hands or a batonAlso (esp US): direct
- to transmit (heat, electricity, etc)metals conduct heat
Word Origin
C15: from Medieval Latin conductus escorted, from Latin: drawn together, from condūcere to conduce
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for conduct
v.
early 15c., "to guide," from Latin conductus, past participle of conducere "to lead or bring together" (see conduce). Sense of "convey" is from early 15c.; that of "to direct, manage" is from 1630s; "to behave in a certain way" from c.1710; "to convey" from 1740. Related: Conducted; conducting. Earlier verb in the same sense was condyten (c.1400), related to conduit. The noun is from mid-15c., "guide" (in sauf conducte); sense of "behavior" is first recorded 1670s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
conduct
(kən-dŭkt′)
- To act as a medium for conveying something such as heat or electricity.
- The way a person acts, especially from the standpoint of morality.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.