v., -duct·ed, -duct·ing, -ducts. v.tr.
- To direct the course of; manage or control.
- To lead or guide. See synonyms at accompany.
- Music. To lead (an orchestra, for example).
- To serve as a medium for conveying; transmit: Some metals conduct heat.
- To comport (oneself) in a specified way: She conducted herself stoically in her time of grief.
- To act as a conductor.
- To lead.
- The way a person acts, especially from the standpoint of morality and ethics.
- The act of directing or controlling; management.
- Obsolete. A guide; an escort.
[Middle English conducten, from Latin condūcere, conduct-, to lead together. See conduce.]
conductibility con·duct'i·bil'i·ty n.conductible con·duct'i·ble adj.
SYNONYMS conduct, direct, manage, control, steer. These verbs mean to exercise direction over an activity: Conduct can apply to the guidance, authority, and responsibility of a single person: The chairperson conducted the hearing. It can also refer to the coordinated actions of a group: The elections were conducted fairly. Direct stresses regulation to assure proper planning and implementation: The seasoned politician directed a brilliant political campaign. Manage suggests the manipulation of a person, a group, or, often, a complex organization: It takes skill to manage a hotel. Control stresses regulation through restraint and also connotes domination: Our vice-president controls the firm's personnel policies. Steer suggests guidance that controls direction or course: I deftly steered the conversation away from politics. See also synonyms at accompany, behavior.
