modus operandi
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modus operandi
- /ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.əˌɹæn.daɪ/ UK
- /ˈmɐʉ.dɘs ɔp.ɘˌɹɛn.dɒe/ New Zealand
- /ˈmɐʉ.dɘs ɔp.ɘˌɹɛn.di/ New Zealand
- /ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.daɪ/ US
- /ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.di/ US
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin modus operandī, from modus (“manner, method”) and operandī (“of working”).
noun modi operandi · modus operandis
- 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.
- 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.
Similar: MO
Thesaurus
noun
Similar: MO
Translations
Every language
noun person or thing's method of operation
| Español | modus operandi |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | कार्यप्रणाली kāryapraṇālī, कार्यविधि kāryavidhi, कार्यपद्धति kāryapaddhati, तरीक़ाकार tarīqākār, तरीक़ा-ए-कार tarīqā-e-kār, तरीक़-ए-कार tarīq-e-kār |
| Português | modus operandi |
| Français | modus operandi |
| Deutsch | Modus Operandi |
| Italiano | modus operandi |
| Ελληνικά | μεθοδολογία δράσης methodología drásis, τρόπος δράσης trópos drásis |
noun habits from a criminal
| 中文 | 特徵 /(犯罪/作案手法的) 特征 tèzhēng |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | अपराध कार्यप्रणाली aprādh kāryapraṇālī, अपराधी कार्यप्रणाली aprādhī kāryapraṇālī |
| Português | modus operandi |
| Français | mode opératoire, modus operandi |
| Deutsch | Modus Operandi |
Talk about this word "modus operandi." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/modus%20operandi. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. modus operandi. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/modus%20operandi "modus operandi." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/modus%20operandi.Cite this
@misc{modus_operandi_2026,
title = {modus operandi},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/modus%20operandi},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
