profile

American  

[proh-fahyl] / ˈproʊ faɪl /

noun

• profiles
  plural

1. the outline or contour of the human face, especially the face viewed from one side.

   Synonyms:

   silhouette

2. a picture or representation of the side view of a head.

3. an outlined view, as of a city or mountain.

4. an outline of an object, as a molding, formed on a vertical plane passed through the object at right angles to one of its principal horizontal dimensions.

5. a drawing or the like representing this.

6. Surveying. a vertical section of the ground surface taken parallel to a survey line.

7. a verbal, arithmetical, or graphic summary or analysis of the history, status, etc., of a process, activity, relationship, or set of characteristics.

   a biochemical profile of a patient's blood;

   a profile of national consumer spending.

8. an informal biography or a concisely presented sketch of the life and character of a person.

9. Digital Technology. the personal details, images, user statistics, social media timeline, etc., that an individual creates and associates with a username or online account.

10. a set of characteristics or qualities that identify a type or category of person or thing.

    a profile of a typical allergy sufferer.

11. the look, configuration, or lines of something.

    cars with a modern profile.

12. degree of noticeability; visibility.

13. Psychology. a description of behavioral and personality traits of a person compared with accepted norms or standards.

14. Theater. a flat stage property or scenic piece cut from a firm, thin material, as of beaverboard or plywood, and having an irregular edge resembling the silhouette of a natural object.

15. (in a gear) the outline of either end of a tooth.

16. Naval Architecture. a longitudinal elevation or section of a vessel.

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verb (used with object)

• profiles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• profiled,
  past participle,  past
• profiling
  present participle

1. to draw a profile of.

2. to produce or present a history, description, or analysis of.

   The magazine will profile the candidate in its next issue.

profile British  

/ ˈprəʊfaɪl /

noun

1. a side view, outline, or representation of an object, esp of a human face or head

2. a view or representation of an object, esp a building, in contour or outline

3. a short biographical sketch of a subject

4. a graph, table, or list of scores representing the extent to which a person, field, or object exhibits various tested characteristics or tendencies

   a population profile

5. a vertical section of soil from the ground surface to the parent rock showing the different horizons

6. 1. a vertical section of part of the earth's crust showing the layers of rock

   2. a representation of such a section

7. the outline of the shape of a river valley either from source to mouth ( long profile ) or at right angles to the flow of the river ( cross profile )

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verb

1. to draw, write, or make a profile of

2. to cut out a shape from a blank (as of steel) with a cutter

profile Idioms  

1. see keep a low profile.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-profile
  noun
• profiler
  noun
• profilist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• profiles
  plural

Participles

• profiling
  present
• profiled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• profile
  simple
• profiles
  simple
• have profiled
  perfect
• has profiled
  perfect
• am profiling
  progressive
• are profiling
  progressive
• is profiling
  progressive
• have been profiling
  perfect progressive
• has been profiling
  perfect progressive

Past

• profiled
  simple
• had profiled
  perfect
• was profiling
  progressive
• were profiling
  progressive
• had been profiling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will profile
  simple
• will have profiled
  perfect
• will be profiling
  progressive
• will have been profiling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of profile

First recorded in 1650–60; (for the noun) from Italian prof(f)ilo, noun derivative of profilare “to delineate, outline,” from pro- pro- ¹ + -filare, derivative of filo “line, thread,” from Latin fīlum

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Explanation

If a magazine editor asks you to write a profile of an up-and-coming novelist, she's asking you to write a biographical sketch, to give the readers a sense of the novelist as a person. Profile comes from the Italian profilo, the thin colored border of cloth that outlines a garment. It came to mean any kind of sketch or outline, especially of faces. If someone compliments your profile means you look nice from the side (try outlining from other angles). If you have a criminal profile, your criminal record creates a picture of an active life of crime. A profile is also a drawing of the earth in cross-section, showing layers of crust.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

profile profiles profiled profiling

NRL star Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles have recently been diagnosed, raising the profile of MND in Australia.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

“We emphasize the rarity of these events and continue to believe that use of GLP-1s under medical supervision remains extremely safe, with a favorable risk/benefit profile for patients.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026

An online search brought up a short profile for Alice Huang, with her photo, on a Chinese fund database.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

In a Times profile on Skipp Townsend, Bennett, a onetime Rollin’ 60s member, said: “He is a Blood. He’s going into Crip neighborhood. There’s no more bigger sacrifice than that.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Annabelle looks over at Zach, at the profile she’s seen sitting next to her at elementary school assemblies and high school basketball games and the floor of his living room, playing Minecraft.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

The 12th in an occasional series of profiles on Southern California athletes who have flourished in their post-playing careers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Click on the tickers for more about each company, including corporate profiles, analysts’ ratings and consensus price targets.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

He is not one for trash talk or the theatrics that often help fighters build their profiles, preferring to let his performances do the talking.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

“The FDA clearance of the MeRT System reflects decades of scientific research using electrophysiological biomarkers in identifying abnormal brain activity profiles and guiding personalized intervention strategies,” Prichep said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Their black profiles stood out in silhouette against the setting light Lancelot’s, the old ugly man’s, was the outline of a gargoyle.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

The New York Times profiled Sand in 2019, noting that the Brown University and University of Iowa College of Law graduate doesn’t like to talk about his days modeling in Paris and Milan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026

"Our recording captured a clear, permanent mark distinguishing the two very first cells, letting us trace nearly every cell we profiled from the embryo back to one or the other," said Kim.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Evernote, a note-taking app acquired in 2023, was among the holdings Bending Spoons profiled in its IPO prospectus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Earlier this month, the New York Times profiled the Modern Silent Shorts festival, which has annually showcased short films it commissions from select filmmakers since 2024.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

He gets invited on news shows and profiled in magazines, and he has been the subject of a documentary by the filmmaker Errol Morris, all because of a brain that appears to defy description.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

“Many Hindu families in Ohio live with fear—fear of ICE raids, profiling based on accent or appearance and the constant anxiety of family separation,” Pyakurel wrote.

From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2026

The scientists combined DNA sequencing, chemical profiling and conventional laboratory testing to identify the bacteria associated with the damaged mushrooms.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

They had not been charged because profiling and documentation were still under way before the deaths, he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

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

In recent years, civil rights advocates have launched important reform efforts, most notably the campaigns challenging felon disenfranchisement laws, crack-sentencing policies, and racial profiling by law enforcement.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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Related Words

• analysis
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• review
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