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

DNA profiling matched Kirsty and forensics also found minute traces of her blood on Grabham's clothes.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Even Palantir’s own employees have expressed concerns about potential ethnic profiling and democratic norms.

From Slate • Jan. 28, 2026

“We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” the statement read in part.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025

The findings were published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science under the title "Metabolomic profiling of aqueous humor from glaucoma patients identifies metabolites with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective potential in mice."

From Science Daily • Nov. 4, 2025

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