What does dossier mean?
A dossier is a collection of documents containing detailed information about a particular person, organization, event, or subject. The word is most at home in formal and professional contexts — intelligence agencies compile dossiers on suspects, investigative journalists assemble dossiers before publishing exposés, and job applicants may submit a dossier of their work. Because dossiers are usually built deliberately over time and for a specific purpose, the word carries connotations of thoroughness, secrecy, and sometimes surveillance or suspicion: to have 'a dossier on someone' suggests they are being watched or investigated. It entered English from French in the late nineteenth century and remains a standard term in British and American usage alike. Related terms such as 'file', 'record', and 'case file' overlap in meaning but lack dossier's distinctive air of accumulated, purposeful documentation.
nounA collection of documents containing detailed information about a particular person, subject, or event, especially one compiled for official or investigative purposes.
- A set of documents containing detailed information about a person or subject, typically gathered for an official, legal, journalistic, or investigative purpose.
"The journalist spent months assembling a dossier on the company's financial dealings."
"The intelligence agency handed the minister a thick dossier on the suspect's movements."
"Applicants were asked to submit a dossier of their published work along with the application form."
The plural follows the regular English pattern of adding -s.
"The archive contains hundreds of dossiers dating back to the war."
The word for your secret files literally means 'a bundle of papers with labels on the back' — from French 'dos', meaning back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dossier
Dossier comes from French, where it originally denoted a bundle of documents filed together, literally 'with the label on the back' — from 'dos', meaning 'back', ultimately from Latin 'dorsum'. The word entered English in the late nineteenth century, retaining its original spelling and much of its French pronunciation. Its Latin root also gives English words such as 'dose' and 'dosage', though these took a different semantic path.
Usage notes
Dossier carries a formal, somewhat serious register and often connotes investigation, surveillance, or official scrutiny. It is common in journalism, politics, and espionage contexts; in everyday administrative use, 'file' or 'folder' would be more neutral. The final syllable is pronounced like English 'say'.
Don't confuse with
A dozer is a machine that pushes earth or debris, whereas a dossier is a file of documents about a person or subject.