Electroconductive Al2O3-NbN ceramic composites were prepared by hot pressing. Dense sintered bodies of ball-milled Al2O3-NbN composite powders were obtained at 1550 degrees C and 30 MPa for I h under a nitrogen atmosphere. The bending strength and fracture toughness of the composites were enhanced by incorporating niobium nitride (NbN) particles into the Al2O3 matrix. The electrical resistivity of the composites decreased with increasing amount of NbN phase. For a 25 vol% NbN-Al2O3 composite, the values of bending strength, fracture toughness, Vickers hardness, and electrical resistivity were 444.2 MPa, 4.59 MPa center dot m(1/2), 16.62 GPa, and 1.72 x 10(-1) Omega center dot cm, respectively, making the composite suitable for electrical discharge machining.