What does conduct mean?
Conduct functions as both a verb and a noun in modern English. As a verb, it means to organize, lead, or carry out an activity — one conducts a meeting, an experiment, a survey, or an orchestra. It also describes how a person behaves: to "conduct oneself well" is to act appropriately, and in physics it means to transmit electricity or heat. As a noun, conduct refers to a person's behavior, particularly when judged against moral, legal, or professional standards; schools, workplaces, and institutions commonly issue a "code of conduct" outlining expected behaviour. The word carries a formal, somewhat evaluative tone, so it appears more often in official, academic, and professional contexts than in casual conversation. Derived forms include "conductor" (both an orchestral leader and a material that transmits electricity), "conduction," and "conductive." Its versatility and slightly elevated register make it a staple of formal writing about behaviour, leadership, and scientific procedure.
To organize, direct, or carry out an activity, task, or event; also, to behave in a specified way, or to lead the performance of music by a group such as an orchestra.
"A senior scientist will conduct the trials at three hospitals across the country."
Stress on the second syllable (/kənˈdʌkt/) distinguishes the verb form.
The manner in which a person behaves, especially with reference to moral, professional, or legal standards.
"His conduct during the negotiation earned him considerable respect."
In British English the noun is stressed on the first syllable (/ˈkɒndʌkt/). Commonly used in institutional contexts such as "code of conduct" and "rules of conduct."
As a noun, conduct refers to behavior in general and is almost always treated as uncountable, so it does not take a plural in ordinary usage. The inflected form "conducts" belongs to the verb.
"She conducts herself admirably under pressure."
"Conduct" literally means "to lead together" — the same Latin root that gave us "duke," because a duke was originally someone who leads people somewhere.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conduct
Conduct comes from the Latin "conducere," meaning "to lead or bring together," formed from "com-" (together) and "ducere" (to lead). The same root "ducere" produced many English derivatives, including "duke," "educate," "introduce," and "conduit," which shares conduct's literal sense of channeling or leading something along a path. The word entered English via Old French in the medieval period, initially referring to escorting or guiding, before broadening into its modern senses of directing activities and behaving in a certain way.
Related word forms
How conduct is actually used
Note that stress differs by part of speech: as a verb, stress falls on the second syllable (con-DUCT), while as a noun it falls on the first syllable (CON-duct) in British English, though American English often keeps stress on the second syllable for the noun as well. The verb is common in formal and professional registers; the noun frequently appears in phrases like "code of conduct" and "good conduct."