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Who was the first American to conduct an opera at Milan's La Scala?

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conduct

American  

[kon-duhkt, kuhn-duhkt] / ˈkɒn dʌkt, kənˈdʌkt /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   manners, actions, comportment, demeanor

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.

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verb (used with object)

• conducts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• conducted,
  past participle,  past
• conducting
  present participle

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)

• conducts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• conducted,
  past participle,  past
• conducting
  present participle

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 British  

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

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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. Also (esp US): direct. to control or guide (an orchestra, choir, etc) by the movements of the hands or a baton

6. to transmit (heat, electricity, etc)

   metals conduct heat

Usage

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.

Synonym Usage

See behavior.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• conductibility
  noun
• nonconductibility
  noun
• preconduct
  verb (used with object)
• reconduct
  verb (used with object)
• conductible
  adjective
• nonconductible
  adjective
• unconductible
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• conducting
  present
• conducted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• conduct
  simple
• conducts
  simple
• have conducted
  perfect
• has conducted
  perfect
• am conducting
  progressive
• are conducting
  progressive
• is conducting
  progressive
• have been conducting
  perfect progressive
• has been conducting
  perfect progressive

Past

• conducted
  simple
• had conducted
  perfect
• was conducting
  progressive
• were conducting
  progressive
• had been conducting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will conduct
  simple
• will have conducted
  perfect
• will be conducting
  progressive
• will have been conducting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of conduct

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; see conduit; conduce

Explanation

The noun conduct refers to behavior, like how students are rewarded for good conduct. The verb conduct means carry something through, as in "to conduct a survey." And if you lead an orchestra, you conduct it. Your conduct (accent on the first syllable), or your own behavior, is the way you conduct (accent on the second syllable), or lead, yourself. Keep the accent on the second syllable to conduct, or lead, an orchestra, and to conduct an interview by asking someone questions. Also, metals like copper or gold conduct electricity by letting the electricity pass through.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conduct conducts conducted conducting

They expect to conduct their final analysis by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

“The facts provided by Jane Doe’s statement do not allege that she was either rendered incapable of controlling her own conduct or that any drug was administered to her without her consent.”

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

The archdeacon was said to have replied: "We don't conduct witch hunts in the Sheffield diocese."

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

This minimizes the risk of traumatization while putting the investigative focus where it belongs, which is on establishing the conduct of those accused.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

It might get noised about that the Pontelliers had met with reverses, and were forced to conduct their ménage on a humbler scale than heretofore.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

When Roden-Reynolds conducts tick surveys, he wears clothing permeated with the tick-killing insecticide permethrin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Every few years, however, the team conducts a broader search for much larger features.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

He conducts tours of the White House helipad while promoting a fertilizer brand on national television.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

"What remains to be seen is not whether Singh will eventually walk free, but how the government conducts itself around that decision...and whether minority communities are given any reassurance," Dayal adds.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

To be sure, it is hidden away in bone and conducts internal affairs in secrecy, but virtually all the business is the direct result of thinking that has already occurred in other minds.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

The researchers then examined blood samples from almost 1,200 people enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention and studies conducted through the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

But Cornell knew, and in May 2025 conducted at least 12 Title IX hearings into the allegations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Arsenal's assistant coach Aaron D'Antino conducted post-match media duties and explained that, while the intention was for Williamson to take the goal-kick, they will use the incident as a learning experience.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

After an intermission, the venue will screen Marvel’s haunted “Werewolf by Night” with live orchestral accompaniment conducted by Sarah Hicks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Bernard Herrmann, the Mercury Theatre’s orchestra leader, composed and conducted the musical score.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Everyone in the room grabbed either shakers or a small drum, and with Densmore instructing and conducting, the ensemble conjured what he called the heartbeat of Mother Earth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

It will take 7 hours and 50 minutes for the crew to reach the ISS where they will be conducting experiments and research toward future missions to the Moon and Mars, according to Nasa.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

They will spend an extended period aboard the station conducting science and other mission activities.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

This week, Emirati officials banned local branches of Bank Melli Iran—the Islamic Republic’s biggest commercial lender—from conducting transactions involving Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

He stops his conducting and taps my case with his baton.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

Related Words

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