A modus operandi (often shortened to M.O. or MO) is an individual's habituation of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as .
Term
The term is often used in police work when discussing
criminology and addressing the methods employed by
criminals. It is also used in criminal profiling,
[Vronsky, R. Serial Killers (Berkley Books, 2004) , p. 412.] where it can help in finding clues to the offender's
psychology.
[Hazelwood, R. R, A. W. Burgess, Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation, (CRC Press, 2001) , p. 517.] It largely consists of examining the actions used by the individuals to execute the crime, prevent its detection and facilitate escape.
[Douglas, J. E. and A. W. Burgess, A. G. Burgess, R. K. Ressler. Crime classification manual (John Wiley & Sons, 2006) , p. 19-21.] A suspect's
modus operandi can assist in their identification, apprehension, or repression, and can also be used to determine links between crimes.
[Berg, B.L. Criminal Investigation (McGraw Hill, 2008) ]
In business, modus operandi is used to describe a firm's preferred means of executing business and interacting with other firms.
Plural
The plural is modi operandi.
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 language).
See also
Further reading
-
Levinson, D. Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment (SAGE, 2002). .
-
Carlo, P. The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez (Pinnacle Books 1996). .
External links
