What does "conduce" mean?
To cause (something) to occur; to bring about.
Conduce
/kənˈdjuːs/ verb
verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To cause (something) to occur; to bring about.
- Grammar: conduce is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: contribute, apply, bend, bias.
- Useful contrasts: hinder, impede, irrelevant.
- Usage evidence: And vvell aſſured you may be, the King's Highneſs upon Sight of theſe your ſaid Letters, not only much commended your great Diligence and provident Dexterity, in the vviſe conducing of theſe his vveighty Matters, vvhereby ye have deſerved his ſingular Favour and Thanks, but alſo took great Rejoicing, Conſolation and Comfort, in this honourable, princely and loving Demeanour of the ſaid French King: […]
How to use "conduce"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "conduce" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "conduce" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "conduce" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "conduce" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "conduce" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "contribute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "conduce", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To cause (something) to occur; to bring about. formal, obsolete, transitive
"And vvell aſſured you may be, the King's Highneſs upon Sight of theſe your ſaid Letters, not only much commended your great Diligence and provident Dexterity, in the vviſe conducing of theſe his vveighty Matters, vvhereby ye have deſerved his ſingular Favour and Thanks, but alſo took great Rejoicing, Conſolation and Comfort, in this honourable, princely and loving Demeanour of the ſaid French King: […]"
- 2 be conducive to wordnet
- 3 To contribute (something). formal, obsolete, transitive
- 4 To conduct or lead (someone or something). also, figuratively, formal, obsolete, transitive
"At laſt to conduce things to ſome order out of this Chaos of confuſion, their moſt learned Hiſtorian Elifarni, tooke vpon him to make ſtraight theſe crooked poſtures: […]"
- 5 To advantage or benefit (someone or something). formal, obsolete, rare, transitive
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To carry on or continue (an activity). formal, obsolete, possibly, rare, transitive
"VVithin my ſoule there doth conduce a fight / Of this ſtrange nature, that a thing inſeparat, / Diuides more vvider then the skie and earth: […]"
- 7 To contribute or lead to a specific result. formal, intransitive
"The reaſons you alleadge, do more conduce / To the hot paſſion of diſtempred blood, / Then to make vp a free determination / Tvvixt right and vvrong: […]"
- 8 To be advantageous to; to advantage, to benefit. formal, intransitive, obsolete
"So [Julius Caesar] Scaliger of himſelfe ingenuouſly confeſſeth, […] I am mightily detained and allured vvith that grace & comelineſſe of faire vvomen, I am vvell pleaſed to bee idle amongſt them. And vvhat young man is not? As is acceptable and conducing to moſt, ſo eſpecially to a melancholy man."
Antonyms
Example
"And vvell aſſured you may be, the King's Highneſs upon Sight of theſe your ſaid Letters, not only much commended your great Diligence and provident Dexterity, in the vviſe conducing of theſe his vveighty Matters, vvhereby ye have deſerved his ſingular Favour and Thanks, but alſo took great Rejoicing, Conſolation and Comfort, in this honourable, princely and loving Demeanour of the ſaid French King: […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "conduce"?
Common synonyms include: contribute, apply, bend, bias, dispose, facilitate.
How do you use "conduce" in a sentence?
And vvell aſſured you may be, the King's Highneſs upon Sight of theſe your ſaid Letters, not only much commended your great Diligence and provident Dexterity, in the vviſe conducing of theſe his vveighty Matters, vvhereby ye have deſerved his ſingular Favour and Thanks, but alſo took great Rejoicing, Conſolation and Comfort, in this honourable, princely and loving Demeanour of the ſaid French King: […]
How do you pronounce "conduce"?
Pronounced /kənˈdjuːs/.
Etymology
PIE word *ḱóm From Late Middle English conducen (“to guide, lead; (surgery) to draw together (edges of a wound, or parts of a torn sinew); to set (a broken bone)”), borrowed from Latin condūcere, the present active infinitive of condūcō (“to bring, draw, or lead together, assemble, collect; to contribute to something by being useful, be of use, be conducive to”), from con- (prefix denoting a bringing together of several things) + dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead, lead away”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull; to lead (pull behind oneself)”)). Doublet of conduct and conn.