# rogues' gallery

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rogues-gallery
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Any group of lawbreakers or other disreputable characters.

## Examples

- The police kept photos of the rogues' gallery on the wall.
- Looking at the suspects in the lineup, the detective realized he was dealing with a complete rogues' gallery of local criminals.
- The political scandal revealed a rogues' gallery of corrupt officials and lobbyists who had been manipulating the system for years.

## Origin

From rogue + gallery. Popularized by American detectives Allan Pinkerton and Thomas F. Byrnes.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.