Definition

Noun: 1. A collection of pictures of criminals: A set of photographs, typically maintained by law enforcement, showing the faces of known or suspected criminals for identification purposes. 2. A coterie of undesirable people: A group of individuals considered disreputable, untrustworthy, or generally objectionable.

Usage and Examples

• Referring to a police collection of criminal photos:

  • The detective scanned the rogue's gallery, hoping to identify the suspect from the security footage.
  • Before databases, police stations kept physical rogue's galleries of known felons.

• Referring to a group of disreputable people:

  • The scandal revealed a rogue's gallery of corrupt officials within the department.
  • He seems to have assembled a rogue's gallery of dubious characters as his business partners.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The term often carries a figurative and mildly humorous or dramatic tone when used for a group of undesirable people, implying they are a collection of "characters" worthy of being in a criminal lineup.
• It can be used in political, corporate, or social contexts to criticize a group collectively.

Variants and Related Words

• Mug shot: (n) A photograph of a person's face taken after arrest. This is a component of a traditional rogue's gallery.
• Lineup: (n) A row of people, including a suspect, shown to a witness to identify a perpetrator. Related in concept to identification.

Synonyms

• For meaning 1 (collection of pictures): police file, mug shot collection.
• For meaning 2 (group of people): den of thieves, band of rogues, unsavory bunch, disreputable crowd.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A who's who of...: This phrase can be used ironically in a similar way to the second meaning. (e.g., )
• Rogues' gallery: An alternative spelling using the plural possessive "rogues' " is also common and acceptable. The meaning is identical.

Noun

1. a collection of pictures of criminals
2. a coterie of undesirable people