noun

modus

MOH-duhs

noun

A particular way of doing something or arranging the terms of an agreement.

"The contract set out a specific modus for splitting the profits."

"Each clause described the modus by which payment would be made."

(law) A payment made in place of an obligation such as a tithe.

"The estate paid a fixed modus instead of handing over a share of its crops."

How to Use Modus

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA formal term for the specific way something is arranged or done, often used in legal or academic contexts.

Common mistake

Rarely used alone in everyday English — most people know it only from phrases like "modus operandi" (method of operating).

Common pairings

modus operandi modus vivendi

modi plural

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The contract set out a specific _____ for splitting the profits.

From Latin modus, meaning "measure" or "manner" — the same root that gives us the word "mode."

Exodus Commodus