dossier

American  

[dos-ee-ey, -ee-er, daw-see-ey, -see-er, daw-syey] / ˈdɒs iˌeɪ, -i ər, ˈdɔ siˌeɪ, -si ər, dɔˈsjeɪ /

noun

dossiers plural

1. a collection or file of documents on the same subject, especially a complete file containing detailed information about a person or topic.

   Synonyms:

   folder, report, record

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dossier British  

/ ˈdɒsɪˌeɪ, dosje, -sɪə /

noun

1. a collection of papers containing information on a particular subject or person

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Usage

What does dossier mean? A dossier is a collection of detailed information about a person or other subject. The word dossier is popularly associated with espionage, law enforcement, and politics. When used in these contexts, it often refers to a file that includes all the “dirt” on someone (such as secret negative information that could be used to blackmail them). Example: We’ve been tracking this guy for years—we have a 2,000-page dossier on him.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dossiers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dossier

1875–80; < French: bundle of documents with a label attached to the back or spine, equivalent to dos (< Latin dorsum ) back + -ier -ier ²

Explanation

If you’re a fan of spy movies, you’ve probably seen countless scenes in which an intrepid secret agent breaks into a secure government facility in order to steal a dossier, or a collection of files. Dossier, which emerged in French in the 19th century, is derived from the French word dos, meaning “back.” While the connection between “files” and “backs” isn’t certain, it may pertain to the fact that the labels of dossiers were originally affixed to the back, or spine, of each file. If you speak French, you can apply your knowledge to the pronunciation of this word; the final syllable is pronounced with a long a sound, rhyming with “day.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dossier dossiers

Then, that data slab feeds off other sources to grow into a full-on digital dossier of your consumer attributes, bandied from advertiser to vendor to advertiser.

From Slate ● May 3, 2026

But a source told the BBC: "To argue publicly that there was just one complaint is willfully misleading. They were presented to London in one dossier, but there were multiple complaints."

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

Sullivan—a gruff Irish-Catholic variety-show host who could make or break careers—dropped a folder on the table, a dossier of FBI and press clippings, and asked bluntly:

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026

NGOs contacted by AFP, several of whom declined to be quoted on the record due to the sensitivity of the issue, say they complied with most of Israel's requirements to provide a complete dossier.

From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025

If Anna is collecting evidence that I am vindictive and obsessive, this could be a key piece in her dossier.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

And recently, rapidly advancing artificial-intelligence technologies that can analyze the massive digital dossiers about us and infer nearly everything about us.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Now, as his vanquisher Peter Magyar gears up to take power vowing to reset ties, the question is how quickly could these dossiers get unlocked?

From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026

Portugal and Italy also submitted dossiers to host the tournament but withdrew to focus on bids to co-host the men's Euro 2032 and 2030 men's World Cup.

From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025

He compiles thick dossiers on everyone — when not questioning his fitness for the job.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024

We weren't allowed to discuss our instructions in the weeks leading up to the carnaval, but Amber and I had swapped our dossiers.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• summary