SKIP TO CONTENT

mugshot

Other forms: mugshots

A mugshot is a police photograph taken of someone who's been arrested. Most mugshots are taken as soon as a suspect is brought into a police station, and they don't tend to be flattering.

The term mugshot is an informal name for what's officially called a "police photograph" or a "booking photograph." Taking a picture of every arrested suspect became standard procedure in the late 1800s, not long after the invention of photography. Mugshots include both a front view and side view of the arrested person. This police tool came to have this nickname mugshot from the informal meaning of mug, "face."

Definitions of mugshot
  1. noun
    a photograph of someone's face (especially one made for police records)
    synonyms: mug shot
    see moresee less
    type of:
    exposure, photo, photograph, pic, picture
    a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide; recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘mugshot'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family