profiling

American  

[proh-fahy-ling] / ˈproʊ faɪ lɪŋ /

noun

1. the use of personal characteristics or behavior patterns to make generalizations about a person, as in

2. the use of these characteristics to determine whether a person may be engaged in illegal activity, as in

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profiling British  

/ ˈprəʊˌfaɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of categorizing people and predicting their behaviour according to particular characteristics such as race or age

   racial profiling

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Example Sentences

But activists say hundreds have been pushed across the border from Assam in recent months without due legal process, often based on ethnic profiling.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Single cell profiling also allowed them to track which genes were active, which regions of DNA became accessible, and how those changes evolved.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

He tracked changes in the microbial populations using advanced DNA analysis and metabolite profiling to better understand how fermentation unfolds.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

This passion for understanding the dimensions of profiling would forever shape Harris’ storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Justyce already knew about the superpredator myth—he’d stumbled upon the whole thing while trying to deal with his own profiling trauma.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone