Definition

Noun: A photograph of a person's face, taken for official identification purposes, especially by police or other law enforcement agencies as part of a criminal record.

Usage

A mugshot is a specific type of photograph used primarily in law enforcement contexts. It is taken after a person is arrested and booked into custody. The term is informal but widely understood.

Examples

• The police compared the suspect's mugshot to the security camera footage.
• After his arrest, they took his fingerprints and a mugshot.
• The website published the celebrity's old mugshot from a past arrest.

Advanced Usage

• "Mugshot" vs. "Booking Photo": While is the common term, is a more formal synonym used in official law enforcement language.
• Cultural Reference: The term is often used in media and popular culture to refer to any unflattering or official-looking portrait photograph, sometimes humorously.
  • My driver's license photo looks like a mugshot.

Variants and Related Words

• Booking Photo (n.): The formal term for a mugshot, taken during the process of booking someone into jail.
• Portrait (n.): A general term for a photograph of a person, especially one showing the face. Unlike a mugshot, a portrait is typically posed and artistic.
• Headshot (n.): A photograph of a person's head and shoulders, typically for professional or acting portfolios, not for police records.

Synonyms

• Booking photograph
• Police photograph
• ID photo (in this specific context)

Idioms and Phrases

• To have/take a mugshot: To be photographed by the police after an arrest.
  • He was arrested and had to have a mugshot taken.

Noun

1. a photograph of someone's face (especially one made for police records)