rap sheet

American

noun

Slang.

a record kept by law-enforcement authorities of a person's arrests and convictions.

rap sheet British

noun

informal a police record of an individual's criminal history

"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

Etymology

Origin of rap sheet

1955–60; rap ¹ (in the slang sense “a criminal charge”)

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.

See Examples For:

rap sheet

When asked last week whether the person arrested outside the news conference had a criminal record, a Homeland Security spokesperson said the agency would share a criminal rap sheet when it was available.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025

Sure, bunnies are cute, but Bugs Bunny must have a rap sheet as long as his arm.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2025

The lack of any prior "rap sheet" means the judge will be more likely to show him leniency.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2024

The FBI says the rap sheet is based on fingerprint submissions from “authorized criminal justice agencies.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 23, 2023

I got a school rap sheet, but in school they call it a "file."

From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds

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