A modus operandi (often shortened to M.O. or MO) 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'.[1]
Term
editThe term is often used in police work when discussing crime and addressing the methods employed by criminals. It is also used in criminal profiling,[2] where it can help in finding clues to the offender's psychology.[3] It largely consists of examining the actions used by the individuals to execute the crime, prevent its detection and facilitate escape.[1] A suspect's modus operandi can assist in their identification, apprehension, or repression, and can also be used to determine links between crimes.[4]
In business, modus operandi is used to describe a firm's preferred means of executing business and interacting with other firms.
Plural
editThe plural is modi operandi.[5][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).
See also
edit- Criminology – Study of crime and criminal actions/behavior
- John E. Douglas – American criminal profiler
- Latin phrases
- 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 – crime which exhibits characteristics unique to an offender's psychology
References
edit- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Vronsky, R. Serial Killers (Berkley Books, 2004) ISBN 0-425-19640-2, p. 412.
- ^ Hazelwood, R. R, A. W. Burgess, Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation, (CRC Press, 2001) ISBN 0-8493-0076-2, p. 517.
- ^ Berg, B.L. Criminal Investigation (McGraw Hill, 2008) ISBN 978-0-07-340124-9
- ^ "modus operandi". merriam-webster.com. Merriam–Webster. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ Barber, Katherine, ed. (2004). "modus operandi". The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195418163. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
Further reading
edit- 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.
External links
editThe dictionary definition of modus operandi at Wiktionary