conduced

Conduced is the past tense and past participle of the verb conduce, meaning to bring about a particular result or to contribute toward a desired outcome; to lead toward a given end. The sense is formal and relates to causal or contributory effects rather than direct action.

Etymology and background: Conduce derives from Latin conducere, meaning to bring together or to lead toward. In English, conduct and conduct-related forms have long carried a sense of guiding toward an objective. Conduce remains relatively formal and is encountered more often in scholarly, philosophical, or historical writing than in everyday speech.

Usage: In modern usage, conclusive or more common alternatives such as contribute to or lead to are often preferred. Conduce is typically used with a to phrase, as in "these factors conduced to the accident" or "favorable conditions conduced to a successful outcome." The form conducted is the past tense of the unrelated verb conduct, so care is needed to avoid confusion. The adjective conducive shares a related root and describes conditions that tend to promote a result, as in "an environment conducive to learning."

Examples: The findings conduced to a revision of the theory. The researcher argued that multiple variables conduced to the observed effect. In contrast, a policy that is conducive to growth can support broader outcomes.

See also: conduce, conduciveness, conducive, conduction.