Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for conductor. Search instead for conductor/2.
Definitions

conductor

[kuhn-duhk-ter] / kənˈdʌk tər /
NOUN
leader
Synonyms
STRONGEST
director maestro manager master supervisor
STRONG
guide marshal
Antonyms
STRONGEST
employee

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for conductor?
The word conductor is used in several different senses, and each has different synonyms. music In the context of music, a conductor is the one who conducts a musical group, especially an orchestra or choir. The specific terms orchestra conductor and choir conductor are sometimes used. The position can also be called director. An especially talented conductor might be called a maestro. trains and transportation On trains, the word conductor often refers to the worker in charge collecting fares or tickets from passengers, among other duties, such as announcing stations. In general, such a person could be called a train conductor. This sense of the word is also sometimes used for a person who does this on a bus. This person may alternatively be called a ticket collector or a ticket taker. science Conductor is also a word for a material that conducts electricity, heat, light, or sound. Such a material functions as a medium for these things (such as an electrical current) to travel through. More specific terms like electrical conductor are sometimes used. general Sometimes, conductor is used in a very general way to refer to someone who is in charge of conducting, directing, or managing something. Synonyms for this sense include director, manager, and supervisor.
What is the feminine version of conductor?
Conductor is largely used as a gender-neutral term. However, to specify that a conductor is a woman, you could use the word conductress. However, this term is rarely used. The word conductrix is also sometimes used, but is also very rare.
What is the opposite (antonym) of conductor?
In scientific contexts, the opposite of a conductor is a nonconductor—a material that does not readily conduct electricity, heat, sound, or light. Certain nonconductive materials are called insulators. Examples of insulators include materials like glass, plastic, and rubber.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His mother, who introduced him at age 5 to Walden Pond, was an abolitionist who ran a station on the Underground Railroad, for which he would act as a conductor.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Czech conductor Petr Popelka is rumored to be a strong candidate in the Cleveland Orchestra’s music director search.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Although he was acquitted of antisemitism, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra withdrew its offer for a job as principal conductor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The conductor was Kurt Masur, a German who had been conscripted by the Nazis as a teenager.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

The orchestra claimed that Conant’s “shortness of breath was overhearable” in her performance of the famous trombone solo in Mozart’s Requiem, even though the guest conductor of those performances had singled out Conant for praise.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.