Definition

Noun: - A police record listing a person's arrests and criminal charges: A "rap sheet" is an official document maintained by law enforcement agencies that chronologically details an individual's history of arrests, criminal charges, and often the outcomes of those cases.

Usage

A "rap sheet" is a colloquial term, primarily used in American English, for a person's criminal record. It is most commonly used in informal contexts, journalism, and legal discussions.

Examples

• The prosecutor reviewed the suspect's extensive rap sheet before deciding to pursue stricter charges.
• Getting a job can be difficult if you have a rap sheet.
• His rap sheet showed arrests for petty theft and vandalism.

Advanced Usage

• "To have a rap sheet a mile long": An idiom meaning to have a very long and serious criminal record.
  • The career criminal had a rap sheet a mile long.

Variants and Related Words

• Criminal record (noun): The formal term for a documented history of a person's criminal convictions.
• Police record (noun): A broader term that can include a rap sheet but also other interactions with police.

Synonyms

• Criminal record
• Police record
• Docket (in a specific legal sense)
• Criminal history

Related Phrases

• Clean rap sheet: Having no criminal record.
  • Fortunately, he had a clean rap sheet, which helped his application.
• To run someone's rap sheet: Law enforcement jargon for checking a person's criminal history.
  • The officer ran his rap sheet during the traffic stop.

Noun

1. the daily written record of events (as arrests) in a police station