conduct

verb

con·duct | \ kən-ˈdəkt also ˈkän-ˌdəkt

conducted; conducting; conducts

Definition of conduct

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

4a : 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

2a : to act as leader or director

b : to have the quality of transmitting light, heat, sound, or electricity

conduct

noun

con·duct | \ ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt

Definition of conduct (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from conduct Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about conduct

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Other Words from conduct

Verb

conductibility \ kən-ˌdək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

conductible \ kən-ˈdək-tə-bəl

\ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for conduct

Verb

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

Verb

conduct, direct, and manage mean to provide the leadership or guidance for something. conduct means leading something in person. I will conduct the meeting. direct is used for guiding something that needs constant attention. Our mayor directed the building of a new school. manage means the handling of the small items of something (as a business) or the careful guiding of something to a goal. He's managing the president's reelection campaign.

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

There's a loophole in the 1994 Brady Bill that exempts places like gun shows and the internet from having to conduct background checks. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "How to Get the H.R. 8 Universal Background Checks Bill Passed in the Senate," 28 Feb. 2019 But this spring, two of the biggest drives in history are being conducted in the wilderness of Idaho’s panhandle. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Art of Floating Logs Down the River," 16 Feb. 2019 The testing, which is also being conducted in Los Angeles and Kansas City, Kansas, is funded by the National Institutes of Health. — Paige Cornwell, The Seattle Times, "More effective than condoms? Seattle-area couples test new birth control for men," 11 Dec. 2018 The test is currently only being conducted in the Explore tab, with no plans to be implemented in the main feed yet. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "Instagram is testing tapping through posts instead of scrolling," 11 Oct. 2018 An autopsy was being conducted to determine Puaa’s cause of death, authorities said. — Stephen Sorace, Fox News, "Hawaii man, 43, found dead days after child sex assault accusations," 6 Sep. 2018 Researchers from the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) — a global research organization that conducts randomized evaluations of social programs — had evaluated versions of this approach for more than a decade. — Meagan Neal, Vox, "It’s hard to design good policies. This simple idea can help governments do it.," 21 Dec. 2018 Nearly all of the studies that have been conducted about vaping were done using a type of flower vape, such as the Volcano or other tabletop vaporizers, Loflin says. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "8 of the Best Weed Vaporizers for the Total Beginner," 13 Dec. 2018 Interested in philosophy and spiritualism, af Klint was part of de Fem (The Five), a group of women artists who conducted seances and experimented with automatic drawings long before Surrealists began their automatic writing projects. — Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, "Abstract Painter Hilma af Klint Inspires a Collaborative Capsule Collection for the Guggenheim Museum Store," 13 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

By contrast, the 1995 resolution establishing the Senate Whitewater Committee targeted specific areas of possible improper conduct by the White House and federal banking regulators. — David B. Rivkin Jr. And Elizabeth Price Foley, WSJ, "Stop the Impeachment Fishing Expedition," 14 Feb. 2019 But this is the first settlement to come out of the surge of litigation in the past few years that focuses largely on the company’s more recent conduct. — Geoff Mulvihill, The Seattle Times, "Maker of OxyContin agrees to $270M settlement in Oklahoma," 27 Mar. 2019 And there are several investigations into his work and conduct. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "Is the CRISPR baby controversy the start of a terrifying new chapter in gene editing?," 22 Jan. 2019 Their goals are to provide the best possible cancer care, conduct comprehensive research, and even establish promising new treatments. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "11 Things to Know After Receiving an Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis," 14 Dec. 2018 Early last year, Apple sued Qualcomm in the United States and in China, accusing the company of extortion and anticompetitive conduct in its negotiations over patent licensing. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Qualcomm says a Chinese court has banned sales of older iPhones nationwide," 10 Dec. 2018 At least, that’s what his commanding officer, who’s charged him with unruly conduct, implies to Jack. — Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Is Us Reveals Zoe’s Heartbreaking Trauma," 14 Nov. 2018 Thanks to the skilled investigative work of the NYPD, Clermont’s new reality is federal prosecution for her alleged nefarious conduct. — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Bad Girls Club Star & Kanye's Muse Shannade Clermont Arrested for Stealing Dead Man's Identity," 11 July 2018 Robert Paul—Blizzard Entertainment Lengyel is one of a half-dozen Overwatch League players who have received warnings, fines, or suspensions for their conduct on personal social media channels or official league streams. — Lisa Marie Segarra, Fortune, "Why Overwatch Needs a Watchdog: E-sports Faces Its Behavior Problem," 24 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conduct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.