Modus Operandi

[ˌmoːdʊs ʔopəˈʁandi]

/[ˌmoːdʊs ʔopəˈʁandi]/ noun

The verdict

“Modus Operandi” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Methode des Handelns; Art und Weise, wie eine Maschine operiert; Art und Weise, wie eine Person normalerweise agiert

Corpus desk

Index DE-modus-operandi · Modus Operandi · German

Modus Operandi · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Modus Operandi
PropertyValue
HeadwordModus Operandi
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˌmoːdʊs ʔopəˈʁandi]
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Modus Operandi“ im Deutschen

Modus Operandischafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Modus Operandi is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˌmoːdʊs ʔopəˈʁandi]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for Modus Operandi in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Modus Operandi, spelled M-O-D-U-S- -O-P-E-R-A-N-D-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Methode des Handelns; Art und Weise, wie eine Maschine operiert; Art und Weise, wie eine Person normalerweise agiert
  2. 2
    Gewohnheiten eines Täters
  3. 3
    der Habitus in der Sozialisation. Spricht Wahrnehmungs-, Bewertungs- und Denkschemata

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Modus Operandi appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Was immer beide Drohungen wert gewesen sein mögen, sie verhießen jedenfalls Ärger, und Ärger ist kein von Google geschätzter Modus Operandi.“
  2. „Fast alle Serienkiller haben einen Modus operandi.“

Antonyms

Modus ExceptionBereitschaftsmodusRuhezustandOpus Operatum

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Modus Operandi"?
"Modus Operandi" is spelled M-O-D-U-S- -O-P-E-R-A-N-D-I. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌmoːdʊs ʔopəˈʁandi].
What does "Modus Operandi" mean?
As a noun, "Modus Operandi" means: Methode des Handelns; Art und Weise, wie eine Maschine operiert; Art und Weise, wie eine Person normalerweise agiert
How do you pronounce "Modus Operandi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Modus Operandi" is [ˌmoːdʊs ʔopəˈʁandi]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Modus Operandi" come from?
"Modus Operandi" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list