Conducting

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kənˈdʌktɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of leading musicians in a performance ; the process of allowing heat, electricity, or sound to pass through a material ; the way a person behaves or manages their actions
2. Guiding an ensemble of musicians through a piece ; carrying energy or sound through a substance ; managing or regulating one's behavior or actions
3. Directing the playing of music by interpreting and signaling the tempo and expression ; transmitting thermal, electrical, or acoustic energy ; the manner in which someone carries out their behavior or personal management

Etymology: "Conducting" is the present participle and gerund of "conduct," so its story is really the story of the verb. "Conduct" came into English from Latin "conducere," meaning "to lead together" or "to bring together," built from "com-" (together) and "ducere" (to lead). That literal sense of leading or bringing people and things along is still visible in every meaning. A verb that once meant only physically escorting someone came to cover a whole cluster of uses. The musical sense is the one most people picture, a person at the front of an orchestra shaping its sound with a baton. It grew from the older idea of leading or guiding a group through a performance. The electrical and physical sense, carrying energy or heat through a material, reflects the same notion of passing something along a path, while the sense of managing one's own behavior grew from the meaning of conducting oneself, that is, leading or directing one's own actions.

Synonyms: leading, directing, guiding, managing, administering

Antonyms: following, subordinating, neglecting