conduce
Conduce is a verb meaning to lead to or contribute toward a particular outcome; to be conducive to a desired result. It is most often used in formal, literary, or legal writing, and is less common in everyday speech. The standard construction is conduce to something, as in "These findings conduce to a more robust theory," or "The policy conduces to social stability." In modern usage the verb's present tense takes "conduce" for most subjects; the third-person singular is "conduces," and the past tense and past participle are "conduced." The term is sometimes treated as archaic or overly formal.
Etymology: Conduce comes from Latin conducere, from con- (together) and ducere (to lead), meaning to bring together
Usage and nuance: Because the term is formal and somewhat dated, many writers prefer synonyms such as
- These findings conduce to a more coherent theory.
- The environment is conducive to learning.