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Synonyms

rap sheet

American  

noun

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


rap sheet British  

noun

  1. 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:

“The father should have been disqualified from taking in Tilly Servin because he has a rap sheet longer than a novel,” said Brian Claypool, an attorney representing Servin.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 25, 2026

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

From Slate Apr. 18, 2025

He had a rap sheet stretching back to the 1970s, according to French regional media outlet France 3.

From BBC Mar. 12, 2025

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

From Seattle Times Jun. 23, 2023

Yeah, that's it, rap sheets, which is such a dumb name because it makes me think of rap music, like maybe a rap sheet is what rappers write their rhymes down on.

From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds

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