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 was in the early stages so it couldn't be used, but Dr Richard Shepherd, former Home Office forensic pathologist, said evidence from the body led them to the truth.

From BBC

So he said was disappointed by McDonnell’s unwillingness to call out racial profiling and excessive force by federal agents in Minneapolis and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times

"These are the bacteria where the signal is strongest, but many more microbes could be affected once we have better microbiome profiling methods."

From Science Daily

Pervasive surveillance, electronic tracking and biometric profiling—together known as “digital dust”—have gutted traditional undercover operations.

From The Wall Street Journal

"As advances in molecular profiling allow us to detect pre-leukemic states years before clinical onset, understanding how stromal and immune cells interact provides a foundation for preventive therapies that intercept disease progression before leukemia develops."

From Science Daily