profile
Americannoun
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the outline or contour of the human face, especially the face viewed from one side.
- Synonyms:
- silhouette
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a picture or representation of the side view of a head.
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an outlined view, as of a city or mountain.
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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.
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a drawing or the like representing this.
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Surveying. a vertical section of the ground surface taken parallel to a survey line.
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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.
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an informal biography or a concisely presented sketch of the life and character of a person.
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Digital Technology. the personal details, images, user statistics, social media timeline, etc., that an individual creates and associates with a username or online account.
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a set of characteristics or qualities that identify a type or category of person or thing.
a profile of a typical allergy sufferer.
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the look, configuration, or lines of something.
cars with a modern profile.
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degree of noticeability; visibility.
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Psychology. a description of behavioral and personality traits of a person compared with accepted norms or standards.
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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.
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(in a gear) the outline of either end of a tooth.
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Naval Architecture. a longitudinal elevation or section of a vessel.
verb (used with object)
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to draw a profile of.
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to produce or present a history, description, or analysis of.
The magazine will profile the candidate in its next issue.
noun
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a side view, outline, or representation of an object, esp of a human face or head
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a view or representation of an object, esp a building, in contour or outline
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a short biographical sketch of a subject
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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
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a vertical section of soil from the ground surface to the parent rock showing the different horizons
-
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a vertical section of part of the earth's crust showing the layers of rock
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a representation of such a section
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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 )
verb
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to draw, write, or make a profile of
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to cut out a shape from a blank (as of steel) with a cutter
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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profilesimple
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profilessimple
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have profiledperfect
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has profiledperfect
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am profilingprogressive
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are profilingprogressive
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is profilingprogressive
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have been profilingperfect progressive
-
has been profilingperfect progressive
Past
-
profiledsimple
-
had profiledperfect
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was profilingprogressive
-
were profilingprogressive
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had been profilingperfect progressive
Future
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing profile
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Journalism
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"The Jacket"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In many cases, multiple funds offering investors essentially the same leverage profile on the same stock are being launched.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Despite her national profile, there remains a nagging suspicion that she lacks an internal compass and the courage of her convictions.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
As for claims that the substance mimics the amino acid profile of human skin, Rogers said the comparison is often overstated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Prenga, who arrived with 20 knockouts from his 20 victories but little profile even with boxing's hardcore followers, sensed an opportunity.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
I switch over to Harriett’s profile, since she and Hudson seem close—and even if she’s all for Hudson moving on, she probably knew the ex he’s moving on from.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
People with high-risk biological profiles such as cluster 5 may require more intensive care or treatments designed to address their specific metabolic problems.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
As Saar’s 100th birthday approached, her work and its groundbreaking importance were celebrated afresh in a slew of articles, including two recent profiles in The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
But plausible profiles can be constructed through circumstantial evidence, what we know about both nature and the lifestyle of Pompeiians, and where a survivor might have turned up later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
She also used AI images based on Davies' likeness, and used the fake profiles to strike up real-life romantic relationships.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
They assigned them names and assembled elaborate profiles of their personalities.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
“I was in love with the frisson of transgression,” said Anna, one of the disillusioned former believers profiled in Sam Adler-Bell’s March 2026 investigation “The women leaving the new right.”
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
The walls are lined with paintings done by her husband, Igor — a painter and sculptor whom The Times profiled in 1991.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Looking at England's equaliser in the Euro 2024 final, the ability of individual players - profiled properly - to come up with solutions was clear.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Charniak, 85, is one of several families profiled in the new book “Grandfamilies: Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raise Them.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
He profiled directly in front of the bull, drew the sword out of the folds of the muleta and sighted along the blade.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
Researchers plan to combine detailed cognitive testing with brain imaging, blood biomarkers, genetics, neuropathology, immune profiling, sleep and activity monitoring, social and environmental measurements, and other indicators of whole-person health.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 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
Scientists believe emerging technologies such as single-cell omics, lineage tracing, and spatial profiling may help reveal the distinct subtypes of senescent cells and identify safer therapeutic targets.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
"Parents deserve independent confirmation that the moderation is sufficient, that help systems are effective, and that age checks aren't used for commercial profiling."
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
“Now, you two experts are on handsome retainers for your profiling work. Correct?”
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
