modus operandi
/ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.ə.ˌɹæn.daɪ/
"modus-operandi" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“modus operandi” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person or thing's normal mode of operation.
Corpus desk
Index EN-modus-operandi · modus operandi · English
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
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | modus operandi |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.ə.ˌɹæn.daɪ/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “modus operandi” in English
Rare enough to double-check
modus operandi is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈməʊ.dʌs ɒp.ə.ˌɹæn.daɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for modus operandi in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin modus operandī, from modus (“manner, method”) and operandī (“of working”). The correct English form is modus operandi, spelled M-O-D-U-S- -O-P-E-R-A-N-D-I.
Definition
- 1A person or thing's normal mode of operation.
- 2A 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.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how modus operandi appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
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
Borrowed from Latin modus operandī, from modus (“manner, method”) and operandī (“of working”).
Synonyms
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.