modus operandi
Americannoun
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modi operandi
plural
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a mode of operating or working.
The aim of a scientist is to investigate the modus operandi of the natural world.
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one’s usual way of doing something: MO
A criminal’s modus operandi can give the police a lead.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of modus operandi
First recorded in 1645–55; New Latin: literally “mode of working”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At that point, the Blues' hierarchy could have ripped up the modus operandi that had served them so well and pivoted towards more extensive overseas recruitment.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
They’re twin portraits of an artist delving into the origin of her modus operandi.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
Exiting business while keeping a stake looks like a modus operandi that suits Aegon, he says, referring to the sale of its Dutch operations to ASR Nederland in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
“Given the modus operandi of this market is to shoot first and ask questions later, we believe this selloff represents an attractive buying opportunity,” Monness, Crespi, Hardt analyst Brian White wrote on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
She was spinning in crazy circles only because she was trying to survive, and movement was always her modus operandi when things got tough.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
