modus operandi
/ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.daɪ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.54 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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?"
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmoʊ.dəs ɑp.əɹˌæn.daɪ/
- British English: /ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.əˌɹæn.daɪ/