conduit

noun

con·​duit ˈkän-ˌdü-ət 

-ˌdyü-,

 also  -dwət,

-dət

1

: a natural or artificial channel through which something (such as a fluid) is conveyed

a conduit for rainwater

2

: a pipe, tube, or tile for protecting electric wires or cables

3

: a means of transmitting or distributing

a conduit for illicit payments

a conduit of information

4

archaic : fountain

Synonyms

• pipe
• tube
• channel
• funnel

Examples of conduit in a Sentence

the major conduit for carrying water to the military base

water flowed along the conduit to the fountain

Recent Examples on the Web

One hole was for the electric box for the 120-volt outlet, and the other hole was for a one-gang electric box the conduit that would house the fiber optic cable. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025

Take Letters to Wendy’s, which tells its story via a year’s worth of customer comment cards, all submitted by an unnamed narrator who treats the fast-food space as a conduit for existential riffing. —Dan Leach july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025

Both were arrested last Friday and made their initial appearances in federal court on Monday, and were also accused of trying to recruit sailors to turn on the U.S. Lai allegedly recruited Chen on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security in 2021 and acted as a conduit between them. —Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025

Also, rodents left rub marks on top of a walk-in cooler’s electric conduit line in the kitchen. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conduyt, condyt, cundyte "channel or pipe for conveying water, act of escorting for protection" borrowed from Anglo-French conduit, condet "channel for water, guide, escort party," (also continental Old French), noun derivative from conduit, past participle of conduire "to guide, escort," going back to Latin condūcere "to bring together, join, hire, accept a contract for" (Medieval Latin also "to lead, escort, provide a channel for [water]") — more at conduce

Note: The senses of the vernacular word conduit parallel those of Medieval Latin conductus, conductum—see conduct entry 2. The verb conduct entry 1 and the nouns conduct entry 2 and conductor all had vernacular counterparts in Middle English and early Modern English—conduiten, conduit and conduytour—taken from Anglo-French. Of these only conduit has survived in Modern English, and with the restricted sense "channel for water."

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

conduit

noun

con·​duit ˈkän-ˌd(y)ü-ət 

 also  -d(w)ət

1

: a channel through which water or other fluid is carried

2

: a pipe, tube, or tile for protecting electric wires or cables