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Synonyms

dossier

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

noun

plural

dossiers

  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
dossier British  
/ ˈdɒsɪˌeɪ, dosje, -sɪə /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Officials are sent a dossier of information by PGMO.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 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

Pressure on the broadcaster’s top executives has been growing since the Daily Telegraph newspaper published parts of a dossier complied by Michael Prescott, who had been hired to advise the BBC on standards and guidelines.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025

And for those of us who watch compulsively and wouldn’t know a dossier from a dog pound, ignorance is bliss.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

Two news articles about his “suicide” were linked at the bottom of his dossier, along with an unlabeled video clip, time-stamped on the day he’d died.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.