conduit

American  

[kon-dwit, -doo-it, -dyoo-it, -dit] / ˈkɒn dwɪt, -du ɪt, -dju ɪt, -dɪt /

noun

• conduits
  plural

1. a pipe, tube, or the like, for conveying water or other fluid.

   Synonyms:

   channel, main, duct

2. a similar natural passage.

3. any means of transmission or conveyance, as of information.

   According to rumor, he served as a conduit for Israeli intelligence.

4. Electricity. a structure containing one or more ducts.

5. Archaic. a fountain.

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conduit British  

/ ˈkɒndɪt, -djʊɪt /

noun

1. a pipe or channel for carrying a fluid

2. a rigid tube or duct for carrying and protecting electrical wires or cables

3. an agency or means of access, communication, etc

4. botany a water-transporting element in a plant; a xylem vessel or a tracheid

5. a rare word for fountain

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• conduits
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of conduit

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English conduit, condut, condewit, condit, from Old French conduit, from Medieval Latin conductus “pipe channel”; see origin at conduce, duct

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Explanation

Instead of complaining about your chores, be grateful for the conduit, or pipe, that brings water to your home. Thanks to it, you don't have to go fetch water from the well whenever your mom wants a cup of coffee. The noun conduit comes from root words meaning "pipe," and the word retains this definition. For example, a channel between a reservoir and a water treatment plant could be called a conduit. Conduit can also be used in a figurative sense to refer to someone or something that conveys goods, information, or ideas. For instance, a religious leader might be seen as a conduit who brings divine messages to the people.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conduit conduits

That rate hit a fresh high of 12% on pools of conduit loans that include retail, office, hotel, multifamily and other property types, according to Deutsche Bank data.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

Iran lashed out at targets including energy infrastructure in countries such as the U.A.E., a key commercial conduit to the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

But let history — and John Cage — remind us that opening our ears can be the conduit to opening our minds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

"By applying the insecticides, that's when they started falling out of conduit pipes, literally coming out of plug sockets, out of the toasters, out of the back of microwave ovens," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

As Barack’s adviser, I was meant to act as a social conduit more than anything.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Many have private kicking coaches outside their schools, who also serve as conduits for information.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

There’s no evidence that this generation intends to make pining their only romantic activity; it’s more that they are very content, at the moment, to luxuriate in the many conduits for yearning available to them.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2026

“The three primary conduits for sustained inflation are housing, labor and energy,” Dutta pointed out.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 23, 2026

These occur when magma pushes through existing conduits, when gas bubbles escape, or when pressure fluctuates inside volcanic channels.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2025

This was to seal any cracks and holes, so that a hot agent could not escape by drifting through hollow electrical conduits.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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Related Words

• duct
• pipe
• pipeline

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