profiling

UK: /ˈprəʊfaɪlɪŋ/ US: (prō′fī ling)

From the verb profile: (⇒ conjugate)

profiling is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pro•fil•ing  (prō′fī ling), n. 

1. Business, Law the use of specific characteristics, as race or age, to make generalizations about a person, as whether he or she may be engaged in illegal activity.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

profiling / ˈprəʊˌfaɪlɪŋ/ noun

1. the practice of categorizing people and predicting their behaviour according to particular characteristics such as race or age: racial profiling

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

pro•file /ˈproʊfaɪl/   n., v., -filed, -fil•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. the outline of the human face as viewed from one side.
2. the look or general contour of something:
   the profile of a mountain.
3. a summary of a process, activity, or set of characteristics:
   a profile of consumer spending.
4. a short, informal piece of writing about someone:
   a profile of the mayor and his rise to power.
5. the degree to which someone is noticed;
   visibility:
   Keep a low profile until this trouble passes.

v. [~ + object]

6. to draw, write, or produce a profile of.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pro•file  (prō′fīl), n., v., -filed, -fil•ing. 
n. 

1. the outline or contour of the human face, esp. the face viewed from one side.
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. Cf. cross section (def. 6). See diagram under contour map. 
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. Biology, Psychology a set of characteristics or qualities that identify a type or category of person or thing:
   a profile of a typical allergy sufferer.
10. the look, configuration, or lines of something:
    cars with a modern profile.
11. degree of noticeability;
    visibility.
12. Psychology a description of behavioral and personality traits of a person compared with accepted norms or standards.
13. Show Business [Theat.] 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.
14. Mechanics (in a gear) the outline of either end of a tooth.
15. Nautical, Naval Terms [Naval Archit.] a longitudinal elevation or section of a vessel. Cf. outboard profile. 

v.t. 

16. to draw a profile of.
17. to produce or present a history, description, or analysis of:
    The magazine will profile the candidate in its next issue.

• Latin fīlum
• Italian prof(f )ilo, noun, nominal derivative of profilare to delineate, outline, equivalent. to pro- pro-¹ + -filare, derivative of filo line, thread
• (noun, nominal) 1650–60

pro′fil•er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. silhouette.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

profile / ˈprəʊfaɪl/ noun

1. a side view, outline, or representation of an object, esp of a human face or head
2. a short biographical sketch of a subject
3. personal information about a user that is displayed on a social media website
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. a vertical section of part of the earth's crust showing the layers of rock
7. a representation of such a section
8. 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 (transitive)

1. to draw, write, or make a profile of
2. to cut out a shape from a blank (as of steel) with a cutter

Etymology: 17th Century: from Italian profilo, from profilare to sketch lightly, from pro-¹ + Latin fīlum thread