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A modus operandi (often shortened to M.O. or MO; Latin pronunciation: [ˈmɔ.dʊs ɔ.pɛˈran.dɪ]) is an individual's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as 'mode (or manner) of operating'.cite-ref-d1-1-0[1]

• Term

• Plural

• See also

• References

• Further reading

• External links

The term is often used in police work when discussing crime and addressing the methods employed by criminals. It is also used in criminal profiling,cite-ref-2[2] where it can help in finding clues to the offender's psychology.cite-ref-3[3] It largely consists of examining the actions used by the individuals to execute the crime, prevent its detection and facilitate escape.cite-ref-d1-1-1[1] A suspect's modus operandi can assist in their identification, apprehension, or repression, and can also be used to determine links between crimes.cite-ref-4[4]

In business, modus operandi is used to describe a firm's preferred means of executing business and interacting with other firms.

The plural is modi operandi.cite-ref-5[5]cite-ref-modus-operandi-6-0[6] The word operandi is a gerund in the genitive case, "of operating"; gerunds can never be pluralised in Latin, as opposed to gerundives. When a noun with an attribute in the genitive is pluralised, only the head noun normally changes, just as in English with "of": "a fact of life, two facts of life" (unlike, for instance, les modes opératoires in French).

• Criminology – Study of crime and criminal actions/behavior

• John E. Douglas – American criminal profiler (born 1945)

• Latin phrases

• Jack the Ripper – Unidentified serial killer in London in 1888

• Modus ponens – Rule of logical inference

• Modus tollens – Rule of logical inference

• Modus vivendi – Arrangement that allows conflicting parties to coexist in peace

• Signature crime

cite-note-d1-11. ↑ Douglas, J. E. and A. W. Burgess, A. G. Burgess, R. K. Ressler. Crime classification manual (John Wiley & Sons, 2006) ISBN 0-7879-8501-5, p. 19-21.

cite-note-22. ↑ Vronsky, R. Serial Killers (Berkley Books, 2004) ISBN 0-425-19640-2, p. 412.

cite-note-33. ↑ Hazelwood, R. R, A. W. Burgess, Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation, (CRC Press, 2001) ISBN 0-8493-0076-2, p. 517.

cite-note-44. ↑ Berg, B.L. Criminal Investigation (McGraw Hill, 2008) ISBN 978-0-07-340124-9

cite-note-55. ↑ "modus operandi". merriam-webster.com. Merriam–Webster. Retrieved 5 December 2023.

cite-note-modus-operandi-66. ↑ citerefbarber2004Barber, Katherine, ed. (2004). "modus operandi". The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195418163. Retrieved 6 April 2020.

• Levinson, D. Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment (SAGE, 2002). ISBN 0-7619-2258-X.

• Carlo, P. The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez (Pinnacle Books 1996). ISBN 0-7860-1362-1.

• The dictionary definition of modus operandi at Wiktionary