CONDUCT

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does conduct mean? 

• CONDUCT (noun)
  The noun CONDUCT has 2 senses:

1. manner of acting or controlling yourself

2. (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

  Familiarity information: CONDUCT used as a noun is rare.

• CONDUCT (verb)
  The verb CONDUCT has 6 senses:

1. direct the course of; manage or control

2. lead, as in the performance of a composition

3. behave in a certain manner

4. take somebody somewhere

5. transmit or serve as the medium for transmission

6. lead musicians in the performance of

  Familiarity information: CONDUCT used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONDUCT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Manner of acting or controlling yourself

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

behavior; behaviour; conduct; doings

Hypernyms ("conduct" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conduct"):

bohemianism (conduct characteristic of a bohemian)

dirty pool (conduct that is unfair or unethical or unsportsmanlike)

dirty tricks (underhand commercial or political behavior designed to discredit an opponent)

discourtesy; offence; offense; offensive activity (a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others)

easiness (the quality of being easy in behavior or style)

the way of the world; the ways of the world (the manner in which people typically behave or things typically happen)

aggression (deliberately unfriendly behavior)

Derivation:

conduct (behave in a certain manner)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

behavior; behaviour; conduct; demeanor; demeanour; deportment

Hypernyms ("conduct" is a kind of...):

trait (a distinguishing feature of your personal nature)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conduct"):

manners (social deportment)

citizenship (conduct as a citizen)

swashbuckling (flamboyantly reckless and boastful behavior)

correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)

improperness; impropriety (an improper demeanor)

manner; personal manner (a way of acting or behaving)

Derivation:

conduct (behave in a certain manner)

• CONDUCT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they conduct ... he / she / it conducts   
Past simple: conducted   
Past participle: conducted   
-ing form: conducting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Direct the course of; manage or control

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

carry on; conduct; deal

Context example:

You cannot conduct business like this

Hypernyms (to "conduct" is one way to...):

care; deal; handle; manage (be in charge of, act on, or dispose of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "conduct"):

racketeer (carry on illegal business activities involving crime)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

conducting (the way of administering a business)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lead, as in the performance of a composition

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

conduct; direct; lead

Context example:

conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years

Hypernyms (to "conduct" is one way to...):

do; execute; perform (carry out or perform an action)

Verb group:

conduct (lead musicians in the performance of)

Domain category:

music (musical activity (singing or whistling etc.))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

conducting (the direction of an orchestra or choir)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Behave in a certain manner

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

acquit; bear; behave; carry; comport; conduct; deport

Context example:

They conducted themselves well during these difficult times

Hypernyms (to "conduct" is one way to...):

bear; carry; hold (support or hold in a certain manner)

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "conduct"):

fluster (be flustered; behave in a confused manner)

assert; put forward (insist on having one's opinions and rights recognized)

deal (behave in a certain way towards others)

walk around (behave in a certain manner or have certain properties)

pose; posture (behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

conduct (manner of acting or controlling yourself)

conduct ((behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take somebody somewhere

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

conduct; direct; guide; lead; take

Context example:

He conducted us to the palace

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "conduct"):

beacon (guide with a beacon)

show; usher (take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums)

lead astray; misdirect; misguide; mislead (lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions)

hand (guide or conduct or usher somewhere)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Transmit or serve as the medium for transmission

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

carry; channel; conduct; convey; impart; transmit

Context example:

Many metals conduct heat

Hypernyms (to "conduct" is one way to...):

bring; convey; take (take something or somebody with oneself somewhere)

Verb group:

carry; convey; express (serve as a means for expressing something)

carry (be conveyed over a certain distance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "conduct"):

wash up (carry somewhere (of water or current or waves))

pipe in (bring in through pipes)

bring in (transmit)

retransmit (transmit again)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

conduction (the transmission of heat or electricity or sound)

conductive (having the quality or power of conducting heat or electricity or sound; exhibiting conductivity)

conductor (a device designed to transmit electricity, heat, etc.)

conductor (a substance that readily conducts e.g. electricity and heat)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Lead musicians in the performance of

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

she cannot conduct modern pieces

Hypernyms (to "conduct" is one way to...):

perform (give a performance (of something))

Verb group:

conduct; direct; lead (lead, as in the performance of a composition)

Domain category:

music (musical activity (singing or whistling etc.))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

conducting (the direction of an orchestra or choir)

conductor (the person who leads a musical group)

 Context examples 

He investigated the case with great care, for Dr. Roylott’s conduct had long been notorious in the county, but he was unable to find any satisfactory cause of death.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Returning to France, I spent some months in a research into the coal-tar derivatives, which I conducted in a laboratory at Montpellier, in the south of France.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The heritage of law was hers, and right conduct, to her, was the fulfilment of the law.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Not so was the conduct of Leach.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

‘This is very extraordinary conduct, Mr. Latimer,’ I stammered. ‘You must be aware that what you are doing is quite illegal.’

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

What did love have to do with Ruth's divergent views on art, right conduct, the French Revolution, or equal suffrage?

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It contained a warrant for conducting me and my retinue to Traldragdubh, or Trildrogdrib (for it is pronounced both ways as near as I can remember), by a party of ten horse.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Where ends the war without a brain and heart to conduct it?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Does that mean a respectable well-conducted man of fifty?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I have safely conducted these three gentlemen to the spot mentioned, and I have, as you have heard, convinced them of the accuracy of my previous account.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)