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.

ICE said one of those detained was a Mexican citizen and green card holder with a lengthy rap sheet.

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2025

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

But Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law, said he thinks the justices who ruled in the majority in the Bruen case won’t be distracted by Rahimi’s rap sheet.

From Washington Times • Nov. 1, 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

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