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
But, based on the new discovery, the UCSF team is conducting clinical trials of potential therapies that could attack the hidden pathogen. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 The holy month also threatens to heighten divisions within Israel's unruly cabinet, with ministers already split over how to conduct the Gaza war. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 In his memory, the city passed the Tyre Nichols Driving Equality Act, barring officers from conducting certain traffic stops for low-level violations, among other measures. Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 The report points to numerous historical programs conducted by the government that involved experimentation with new forms of aircraft, including spaceships. Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Biden’s emphasis on aid to the Palestinians in Gaza, and on pressuring Israel to conduct a just war according to an impossible double standard, was a panicked response to divisions on his left. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 9 Mar. 2024 The student teams then present, in person, on April 17 to a panel of industry judges, who will conduct a brief follow-up Q&A session, in front of the attendees. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024 Authorities in two states are conducting a massive search for a 15-year-old Tennessee boy with autism who vanished in late February, including searching a Kentucky landfill. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 And the campaign is conducting outreach to establish coalitions with key base voters who were crucial to his 2020 win, including Black, Hispanic and Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. Allison Novelo, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
An amendment tacked onto a House bill about disruptive conduct at local government meetings would require the public access counselor to only consider plain text of the state’s public access laws or applicable court cases. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors said Trump was charged, and the others were not, because his conduct was far worse than theirs. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Insensitive conduct from professional fan bases has also been a concern. Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The newfound willingness to display widening differences with the Netanyahu government’s conduct of the war continued Monday, when Ms. Harris received Israeli wartime Cabinet member Benny Gantz at the White House. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024 Executives should take the time to review all workplace policies with managers, like conduct, etiquette, and dress code, and ensure managers uphold these policies equitably. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 The justices are poised to decide whether Trump can be criminally prosecuted for conduct that allegedly involved official acts while in the White House, with arguments set for late April and a ruling expected by the end of June. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 Total immunity for his official conduct, Mr. Trump’s application said, is required by the separation of powers, implicit in procedures for impeaching the president and needed to prevent partisan misuse of the criminal justice system. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Business Law and Ethics: Understanding legal and ethical standards affecting accounting practice, emphasizing contracts, torts, and professional conduct. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024

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 19 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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