dossier

[ dos-ee-ey, -ee-er, daw-see-ey, -see-er; French daw-syey ]

noun

, plural dos·si·ers [dos, -ee-eyz, -ee-erz, daw, -see-eyz, -see-ers, daw-, syey].

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

/ ˈdɒsɪˌeɪ; dosje; -sɪə /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dossier¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dossier¹

C19: from French: a file with a label on the back, from dos back, from Latin dorsum

Example Sentences

He took aim at the liberal nonprofit Campaign for Accountability and the research firm Fusion GPS, the source of the infamous Steele dossier, which contained unverified gossip about Trump.

From Los Angeles Times

How did you first get approached to work on what became known as the Steele dossier, and what was the goal?

From Salon

Klippenstein, who said someone named "Robert" had offered him the dossier, was swiftly banned from X, formerly Twitter.

From BBC

“If this in fact is pretty much the whole dossier on all of us, it certainly is much more concerning” than prior breaches, Murray said in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times

Later in the year, USA Swimming finally submitted, under seal, thousands of pages of papers memorializing discussions of abuse, and with dossiers on scores of accused coaches.

From Salon

Related Words

• summary

More About Dossier

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.

Where does dossier come from?

Dossier comes directly from French, in which it specifically means a “a bundle of papers with a label on the back.” (In French, dos means “back.”) Dossier has been used in English since at least the late 1800s.

Dossier just means “a collection of documents about the same topic.” Dossiers are typically meant to provide comprehensive, detailed information about a subject. In crime TV shows, when a detective hands another detective a thick folder that’s filled with documents about a suspect’s criminal record (usually with their photo paper-clipped to the front), that’s a dossier (though on TV they often just call it a file). But movies and real-life intrigue have made dossier become closely associated with the kind of secret files compiled by spy agencies and political operatives. In this sense, dossiers often contain things like intercepted emails, hidden bank records, and secretly taken photos of the target in compromising positions.

Still, in general, a dossier can be a file on any single subject. It can contain information on a particular organization, business, or any topic—not just an individual person.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to dossier?

• dossiers (plural)

What are some synonyms for dossier?

• file
• report
• record

What are some words that share a root or word element with dossier? 

 

• dorsal

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing dossier?

 

• document
• folder
• binder
• packet
• compile
• portfolio
• secret
• information
• espionage
• politics

How is dossier used in real life?

Dossier can be used in a neutral way that simply refers to a packet of information on a subject. But it is often used to refer to a file filled with secret or scandalous details about a person’s life.

Coming up soon: USADA's 1,000-page dossier of evidence of systematic doping by Lance Armstrong. Tygart statement here: http://t.co/uIiZVsC4

— Matt Seaton (@mattseaton) October 10, 2012

The story of FIFA, the international soccer governing body, is also a story of bribery, international intrigue, a former spy who compiled a dossier on President Donald Trump and a guy who walked around with a parrot on his shoulder. https://t.co/kmmrS58fjw

— Marketplace (@Marketplace) June 18, 2018

Y’all thought Batman and Superman and them were pals. But little did you know Batman only formed the justice league to build a dossier about how to manage/defeat/kill any and all of the heroes on the team in case they ever became a threat.

Trust no one.

— 沈黙 (@cqrainh2o) December 4, 2019

 

 

Try using dossier!

True or False? 

Dossiers always contain secret information that can be used to blackmail someone.