HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
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. (kŏndŭkt′) 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. con·duct′i·bili·ty n. con·ducti·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. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
