NO EXACT MEANING OF THE TERM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SO THAT NO SPECIFIC CRIMES CAN BE ASSIGNED TO THE TERM BY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. INSPIRED BY THE OSGOOD MODEL, THE TECHNIQUE USED TO RESOLVE THIS DIFFICULTY FOCUSES ON SEMANTIC SPACE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORDS WITHIN THAT SPACE. A QUESTIONNAIRE IS CONSTRUCTED USING 44 TERMS FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BANDITRY AND DIVIDED INTO FIVE CLASSES; I.E., TECHNIQUE (VIOLENCE AND WEAPONS); POPULATION, ACTIVITIES, VICTIMS (DAMAGES AND DANGER); AND PREVENTION. THE SURVEY SAMPLE CONSISTS OF 14 EMPLOYEES OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE FOR THE REPRESSION OF BANDITRY (PREVENTION), 8 EXAMINING MAGISTRATES (REPRESSION), 10 JOURNALISTS SPECIALIZING IN CRIMINAL MATTERS (OPINION), AND 10 PARIS BANK DIRECTORS (DANGER AND SECURITY). FACTORIAL ANALYSIS OF BANDITRY IN GENERAL SHOWS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE MODERN BANDITRY CONCEPT TO DANGER AND VIOLENCE, CRIMINALS, GANGSTERS, THE UNDERWORLD, AND YOUNG PEOPLE. COMMON TERMS LINKED TO BANDITRY BY THE FOUR SURVEY GROUPS ARE (1) MOBILITY AND PANDERING; (2) REPRESSION, SEVERE PENALTIES, AND DANGER; (3) IMITATION, ILLICIT PROFIT, DRUG TRAFFIC, SETTLING SCORES, AND PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS; AND (4) FRAUD, EXTORTION, IMITATION, AMATEURISM, AND SMALL PROFIT. WHEN MODERN BANDITRY ALONE IS CONSIDERED, EMPHASIS SHIFTS FROM WEAPONS TO DANGER AND TO FEAR OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GANGSTERS AND AMATEURS. BANDITRY IS THUS DEFINED AS APPROPRIATION THROUGH ARMED VIOLENCE BY CRIMINALS, RESULTING IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS; THE CRIMINALS THEMSELVES FORM AN AMORAL SUBGROUP ORGANIZED TO PURSUE CRIMINAL ENDS. THE TERM IS ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE FACETS VARYING ACCORDING TO RESPONDENTS' PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION RATHER THAN WITH A SPECIFIC CRIME. THE TERM CONJURES UP A ROMANTIC HISTORICAL VISION. IF THE CONTRADICTION BETWEEN USE OF THE WORD FOR SPECIFIC CRIMES AND CRIMINALS AND ITS APPLICATION TO VERY DANGEROUS CRIME IN GENERAL IS TO BE ELIMINATED, THE WORD MUST BE AVOIDED OR GIVEN THE PURELY WORKING DEFINITION OF OFFICIAL TEXTS. TABLES, GRAPHS, AN APPENDIX, AND SEVERAL NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)