Without a conductor; lacking a leader or director, especially referring to orchestras or electrical systems without a conductor.
From 'conductor' (one who leads) plus the suffix '-less' (without). This word emerged in the 20th century with experiments in music and self-governing groups.
In the 1920s-30s, some composers tried to create 'conductorless orchestras' where musicians would listen to each other rather than follow a conductor—an interesting musical and social experiment!
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