modus operandi
UK /ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.əˌɹæn.daɪ/ · US /ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.daɪ/ noun
Forms modi operandi modus operandis
- noun (colloquial) A person or thing's normal mode of operation.
- noun (law enforcement) 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.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin modus operandī, from modus (“manner, method”) and operandī (“of working”).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “modus operandi”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details