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.

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

Santos, a New York Republican, is scheduled to stand trial next year on a lengthy rap sheet that includes charges that he defrauded donors, lied to election officials and stole unemployment benefits.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2023

“You’re trying to knock him down, and given all the things and the rap sheet there that’s a mile long, you’d think that they’d be more aggressive.”

From Washington Times • Jun. 10, 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