What does "conduct" mean?
The act or method of controlling or directing.
Conduct
/ˈkɒndʌkt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or method of controlling or directing.
- Grammar: conduct is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: behavior, demeanor, bearing, comportment.
- Useful contrasts: shockproof, no heat flow, block.
- Usage evidence: You must account for your conduct.
How to use "conduct"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "conduct" 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 "conduct" 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 "conduct" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "conduct" 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 "conduct" is acting as noun, 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 "behavior" 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 "conduct", 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
Noun
- 1 The act or method of controlling or directing. countable, uncountable
"There are other restrictions imposed upon the conduct of war, not by the law of nature primarily, but by the laws of war first, and by the law of nature as seconding and ratifying the laws of war."
- 2 manner of acting or controlling yourself wordnet
- 3 Skillful guidance or management. countable, uncountable
"If thou wilt ſtay with me renowmed man, / And lead thy thouſand horſe with my conduct, / Beſides thy ſhare of this Egyptian prize, / Thoſe thouſand horſe shall ſweat with martiall ſpoyle / Of conquered kingdomes, and of Cities ſackt, […]"
- 4 (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people wordnet
- 5 Behaviour; the manner of behaving. countable, uncountable
"Good conduct will be rewarded and likewise poor conduct will be punished."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Plot. countable, uncountable
"The book of Job, indeed, in conduct and diction, bears a considerable resemblance to some of his dramas."
- 7 Convoy; escort; person who accompanies another. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"I will be your conduct."
- 8 Something which carries or conveys anything; a channel; an instrument; a conduit. archaic, countable, uncountable
"although thou hast been conduct of my chame"
- 9 A priest hired to hold services without secure title; now a chaplain. countable, uncountable
"[…] at this present it is one of the most goodly and uniform Colledges in Europe; wherein is a Master, 60 Fellows, 67 scholars, 4 Conducts, 3 Publique Professours […] besides officers and servants of the foundation, with many other students, being in all 440."
Verb
- 1 To lead, or guide; to escort. archaic, transitive
"I can conduct you, lady, to a low / But loyal cottage, where you may be safe."
- 2 behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself wordnet
- 3 To lead; to direct; to be in charge of (people or tasks) transitive
"The commander conducted thousands of troops."
- 4 lead, as in the performance of a composition wordnet
- 5 To behave. reflexive, transitive
"He conducted himself well."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 lead musicians in the performance of wordnet
- 7 To serve as a medium for conveying; to transmit (heat, light, electricity, etc.) transitive
"Water and many other liquids do not conduct heat well. Wildland fuels in general, wood, and wood products conduct heat slowly, and so do soil and rocks."
- 8 take somebody somewhere wordnet
- 9 To direct, as the leader in the performance of a musical composition. transitive
"For a while, Walter Pohlmann, a well-known German conductor, conducted the orchestra in Compound 3. Later, Willi Mets, who had conducted the world-renowned Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, conducted the Compound 3 orchestra."
- 10 transmit or serve as the medium for transmission wordnet
- 11 To act as a conductor (as of heat, electricity, etc.); to carry. intransitive
- 12 direct the course of; manage or control wordnet
- 13 To carry out (something organized) transitive
"The world's largest surveyor of deepwater oil fields won a contract to conduct a survey of the French Gulf of Lion to map sand reserves."
Antonyms
Example
"You must account for your conduct."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "conduct"?
Common synonyms include: behavior, demeanor, bearing, comportment, deportment, abear.
How do you use "conduct" in a sentence?
You must account for your conduct.
How do you pronounce "conduct"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒndʌkt/.
Etymology
From Late Latin conductus (“defense, escort”), from Latin conductus, perfect passive participle of condūcō (“bring together”); see also conduce. Doublet of conduit.