profiling

noun

pro·​fil·​ing ˈprō-ˌfī-liŋ 

: the act or process of extrapolating information about a person based on known traits or tendencies

consumer profiling

specifically : the act of suspecting or targeting a person on the basis of observed characteristics or behavior

racial profiling

Examples of profiling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Republicans' hard-line immigration policy has raised concerns over racial profiling from immigrant rights advocates. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

By Erik Larson, Bloomberg The Trump administration told a federal appeals court that legitimate immigration enforcement efforts in Los Angeles will be hurt by a temporary order that halted the the use of racial profiling to target individuals for detention. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 July 2025

The court’s decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people’s rights and racial profiling. —Meredith Kile, People.com, 14 July 2025

The program, known as the 287(g) Task Force Model, was halted in 2012 because of concerns over racial profiling. —Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for profiling

• beguiling
• compiling
• refiling
• reviling
• stockpiling
• unsmiling
• filing
• piling
• smiling
• styling
• tiling
• reconciling

Legal Definition

profiling

noun

pro·​fil·​ing

: the practice of singling out persons for law enforcement procedures on the basis of predetermined characteristics

specifically : the discriminatory practice of profiling based on race or ethnicity

racial profiling