Dictionary

modus operandi en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmɐʉ.dɘs ɔp.ɘˌɹɛn.dɒe/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.di/ (General-American)
• /ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.əˌɹæn.daɪ/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• /ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.daɪ/ (General-American)
• /ˈmɐʉ.dɘs ɔp.ɘˌɹɛn.di/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin modus operandī, from modus (“manner, method”) and operandī (“of working”).

Meanings

1. (colloquial) A person or thing's normal mode of operation.
   • Failing that, if contact was absolutely necessary, a series of thumb jabs to the nerve cluster at the base of the neck would be his chosen modus operandi—quiet as a whisper. 2001, Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, pages 92–93:
   • Where is it? What does SCP-3125 look like? Its motivation, its origins, its modus operandi— how much of that can be known? Does it have to be known, to solve the problem? Does it matter how intelligent the intelligence is, once it's inside the box, once it's checkmated? 2019 December 9, qntm, “Wild Light”, in There Is No Antimemetics Division, →ISBN, page 191:
2. A known criminal's established habits and mode of work when committing specific offences, especially fraud, matched with characteristics of an unsolved crime to narrow down (limit to a specific list) or profile suspects.

Forms

Relateds

modus procedendi

Synonyms

MO

Translations (33)

ka დანაშაულებრივი ხერხი (habits from a criminal) · cmn 特徵 /(犯罪/作案手法的) 特征 (habits from a criminal) · ka დანაშაულებრივი მოქმედების ხერხი (habits from a criminal) · hi तरीक़ाकार (person or thing's method of operation) · de Modus Operandi (habits from a criminal) · pl modus operandi (habits from a criminal) · fr modus operandi (habits from a criminal) · fi toimintatapa (habits from a criminal) · pl modus operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · el μεθοδολογία δράσης (person or thing's method of operation) · hi कार्यविधि (person or thing's method of operation) · hi तरीक़ा-ए-कार (person or thing's method of operation) · fr mode opératoire (habits from a criminal) · ka დანაშაულებრივი მოქმედების მეთოდი (habits from a criminal) · el τρόπος δράσης (person or thing's method of operation) · it modus operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · fr modus operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · de Modus Operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · ka ქმედების ხერხი (person or thing's method of operation) · hi तरीक़-ए-कार (person or thing's method of operation) · bg начин на действие (person or thing's method of operation) · tl modus (habits from a criminal) · hi अपराध कार्यप्रणाली (habits from a criminal) · hi कार्यपद्धति (person or thing's method of operation) · pt modus operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · pt modus operandi (habits from a criminal) · bg модус операнди (person or thing's method of operation) · fi toimintatapa (person or thing's method of operation) · es modus operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · la modus operandi (person or thing's method of operation) · hu modus operandi (habits from a criminal) · hi अपराधी कार्यप्रणाली (habits from a criminal) · hi कार्यप्रणाली (person or thing's method of operation)