conduct

Noun

conduct (countable and uncountable, plural conducts)

1. The act or method of controlling or directing.
   • 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.1785, William Paley, The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy
   • the conduct of the state, the administration of its affairs, its policy, and its laws, are for more uncertain1843, Henry Brougham, Political Philosophy

   Synonyms:

   control, guidance, management

2. Skillful guidance or management.
   • 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, […]c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
   • 1722 (first printed) Edmund Waller, Poems, &c. written upon several occasions, and to several persons
     Conduct of armies is a prince's art.

   Synonyms:

   leadership

3. Behaviour; the manner of behaving.
   • Good conduct will be rewarded and likewise poor conduct will be punished.
   • when she came to recall the affectionate and natural manner of the young Indian girl, and all the evidences of good faith and sincerity she had seen in her conduct during the familiar intercourse of their journey, she rejected the idea with the unwillingness of a generous disposition to believe ill...1840, [James Fenimore Cooper], The Pathfinder: Or, The Inland Sea. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   bearing, behavior, deportment, demeanor

4. Plot.
   • The book of Job, indeed, in conduct and diction, bears a considerable resemblance to some of his dramas.c. 1800, Thomas Macaulay, Essays, critical and miscellaneous

   Synonyms:

   action, plot, storyline

5. (obsolete) Convoy; escort; person who accompanies another.
   • I will be your conduct.1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please...
   • In my conduct shall your ladies come.c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
6. (archaic) Something which carries or conveys anything; a channel; an instrument; a conduit.
   • although thou hast been conduct of my chame1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
7. (Anglicanism, obsolete outside fixed titles) A priest hired to hold services without secure title; now a chaplain.
   • […] 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 440.1634, “Trinitie Colledge”, in The foundation of the Universitie of Cambridge […] Anno 1634
   • Cory in 1722 obtained a licence of non-residence from Bishop Fleetwood, his patron, he being at that time one of the conducts, or chaplains, of King’s College.1859, William Keatinge Clay, A History of the Parish of Waterbeach in the County of Cambridge, page 68

Verb

IPA/kənˈdʌkt/

conduct (third-person singular simple present conducts, present participle conducting, simple past and past participle conducted)

1. (archaic, transitive) To lead, or guide; to escort.
   • I can conduct you, lady, to a low / But loyal cottage, where you may be safe.1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey...

   Synonyms:

   accompany, escort, guide, lead, steer, belead

2. (transitive) To lead; to direct; to be in charge of (people or tasks)
   • The commander conducted thousands of troops.
   • to conduct the affairs of a kingdom

   Synonyms:

   direct, lead, manage, oversee, run, supervise, transact, belead

3. (reflexive, transitive) To behave.
   • He conducted himself well.

   Synonyms:

   act, behave, carry on

4. (transitive) To serve as a medium for conveying; to transmit (heat, light, electricity, etc.)
   • 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.1975, Clive M. Countryman, Heat-Its Role in Wildland Fire, Part 2
   • The metal easily conducts electricity and doesn't rust in water, properties that have made it valuable in uses from household plumbing and electric wiring2011 September 20, Matt Day, Tatyana Shumsky, “Copper Falls to 2011 Lows”, in Wall Street Journal

   Synonyms:

   carry, convey, transmit

5. (transitive) To direct, as the leader in the performance of a musical composition.
   • 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.2006, Michael R. Waters, Mark Long, William Dickens, Lone Star Stalag: German Prisoners of War at Camp Hearne
6. (intransitive) To act as a conductor (as of heat, electricity, etc.); to carry.
7. (transitive) To carry out (something organized)
   • 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.2011 September 11, “Fugro, Royal Philips Electronics: Benelux Equity Preview”, in San Francisco Chronicle