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

Researchers are also exploring whether the same structural profiling method could be applied to other diseases, including Parkinson's and cancer.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

But thanks to a breakthrough in DNA profiling, that's now changed.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

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

From Slate • Jan. 28, 2026

"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 • Dec. 23, 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