con·duct
(kən-dŭkt′)v. con·duct·ed, con·duct·ing, con·ducts
v.tr.1. To direct the course of; manage or control: a police officer who conducts traffic; a scientist who conducts experiments.
2. To lead or guide: conducted the tourists through the museum.
3. Music To direct the performance of (an orchestra or chorus, for example).
4. To serve as a medium for conveying; transmit: Some metals conduct heat.
5. To comport (oneself) in a specified way: The students conducted themselves with dignity throughout the ceremony.
v.intr.1. To act as a director or conductor.
2. To show the way; lead.
n. (kŏn′dŭkt′)1. The way a person acts, especially from the standpoint of morality and ethics.
2. The act of directing or controlling; management.
3. Obsolete A guide; an escort.
[Middle English conducten, from Latin condūcere, conduct-, to lead together; see conduce.]
con·duct′i·bil′i·ty n.
con·duct′i·ble adj.
Synonyms: conduct, direct, manage, control, steer1 These verbs mean to exercise direction over an activity:
Conduct applies to the guidance, authority, and responsibility of a single person or group:
The judge conducted the hearing. The committee conducted an investigation into the scandal. Direct stresses regulation to ensure proper planning and implementation:
The seasoned politician directed a brilliant political campaign. Manage suggests ongoing guidance of a person, group, or organization:
It takes skill to manage a large hotel. Control stresses regulation and usually domination through restraint:
The harbormaster controls the number of boats allowed inside the breakwater. Steer suggests guidance that controls direction or course:
I deftly steered the conversation away from politics. See Also Synonyms at
accompany,
behavior.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.