profile

1 of 2

noun

pro·​file ˈprō-ˌfī(-ə)l How to pronounce profile (audio)
plural profiles
1
: a representation of something in outline
especially : a human head or face represented or seen in a side view
The first coins featuring King Charles's profile have been issued by the Royal Mint … Jessica Knibbs
There were … larger spaces of bare wall ornamented with charcoal sketches, chiefly of people's heads in profile. Nathaniel Hawthorne
By the moonlight, Lady Dedlock can be seen in profile, perfectly still. Charles Dickens
2
: an outline seen or represented in sharp relief : contour
"The main features of the design have to do with its site in the foothills of very beautiful mountains. The profile is a jagged line of silhouettes behind this building. We felt it was important to not compete with the majestic profile of these mountains," [Audrey] Matlock says.Denise Kalette
3
: a side or sectional elevation: such as
a
: a drawing showing a vertical section of the ground
b
: a vertical section of a soil from the ground surface to the underlying unweathered material
4
: a set of data often in graphic form portraying the significant features of something
They will then evaluate the fundamental characteristics of those stocks, such as earnings profiles and valuations. …Perle Battistella
especially : a graph representing the extent to which an individual exhibits traits or abilities as determined by tests or ratings
5
a
: a concise biographical sketch
The Vanity Fair feature, a profile of [Amy] Poehler and [Maya] Rudolph, reports that "Wine Country" goes above and beyond that standard, with the film featuring zero straight men talking to each other.Kevin Slane
b
: a collection of personal details about oneself that one curates and shares on an online platform (such as a blog or a social media service)
… when Anderson sat down that year to create an online-dating profile, she was strategic.Taffy Brodessr-Akner
They have left [their jobs] or are about to go, one into consultancy and a "career break" (according to her Linkedin profile), the other to become a partner at PWC.Katherine Griffiths
These short-term gigs fit into the time you have available, and are easy to find: simply go online to one of many sites designed to pair people with projects, and apply for jobs, advertise your skills, or set up a profile and offer your services for tasks that employers have posted.Donna Freedman
6
: degree or level of public exposure
Together, they helped bring Nashville's burgeoning noncountry scene to new prominence, and as the city's profile rose, so did their own.Dave Paulson
After leaving New York in 1990 all but broken following the failure of his hot spot Rakel, the chef kept a low profile in L.A. before eventually scraping together the money to buy a modest Napa Valley restaurant called The French Laundry.Jay Cheshes
7
: a distinctive combination of characteristics
The evolution of the scent profile, from floral and energetic to smoky and calm, makes this cologne a great choice for a date or an evening in the town.Will Briskin
What's striking about so many of the Santa Rita Pinots is that they share a flavor profile, with rich, vivid blueberry and wild berry fruit.James Laube

profile

2 of 2

verb

profiled; profiling

transitive verb

1
: to represent in profile or by a profile : produce (as by drawing, writing, or graphing) a profile of
2
: to shape the outline of by passing a cutter around
3
: to subject to profiling
profiler noun
Choose the Right Synonym for profile

outline, contour, profile, silhouette mean the line that bounds and gives form to something.

outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

Examples of profile in a Sentence

Noun His profile is very unusual. An image of the President's profile appears on the coin. I read a profile of her in a magazine. Verb The mayor was profiled in the magazine last month.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even a crib with a more compact profile is still going to take up quite a bit of valuable floor space, so prioritize options with under-crib storage. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Click on your profile picture in the top right corner to view your profile page. The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 If nothing else, his conscious self-demotion puts a spotlight on an entrepreneur whose modest public profile belies a powerful impact on the startup world. Steven Levy, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024 Tanaka, 27, also played for Japan at U16, U17 and U18 levels, according to her profile on international governing body FIBA’s website. David Close, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The only way Philipps knows how to navigate is to simply not to think about her celebrity profile too hard. Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 Head over to Bustle’s website to read Johnson’s latest profile in its entirety. Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 The wing won’t be visible from the side because it’s designed to be flush with the car’s side profile. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 According to his Facebook profile, Carswell attended Wilkinson County High School in McIntyre, Georgia. Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Since joining The Times in 2018, Mr. Buchanan has reported from film festivals at Cannes, France, and Venice; profiled buzzy actors like Emma Stone and Da’Vine Joy Randolph; and covered more than 50 awards ceremonies. Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Variety profiled de Passe in 2022, read here about her experience and see archival footage of the executive working with the Jackson 5. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 In the minor leagues, Massey profiled as an above-average contact hitter. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Last week, after Cardi B replaced her social media profile pictures with a slate of solid black, fans put on a playful search party for the rapper, trending the hashtag #WhereIsCardi and circulating memes and missing posters worried about the star’s whereabouts. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Organizations must profile all data sources to evaluate quality, structure and anomalies. Manish Sood, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Deere & Company My December article profiled the key players in Ag Autonomy, which is a very active space for both AV and EV. Richard Bishop, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Standing 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds with a bushel of blond hair under his cap, Miller always profiled as the prototypical starter. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 By the time all three men posed in ill fitting suits in March of last year looking like a trio of ambulance chasing lawyers for a buzzy New York Times profile many seasoned media observers were already highly skeptical of The Messenger. Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian profilo, from profilare to draw in outline, from pro- forward (from Latin) + filare to spin, from Late Latin — more at file

First Known Use

Noun

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of profile was in 1638

Dictionary Entries Near profile

Cite this Entry

“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profile. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

profile

1 of 2 noun
pro·​file ˈprō-ˌfīl How to pronounce profile (audio)
1
: a head or face seen or drawn from the side
2
: something seen in outline
3
: a vertical section of soil that shows the various layers
4
: a set of data often in the form of a graph that shows the important characteristics of something
read her psychological profile
5
: level of activity that attracts attention
tried to keep a low profile

profile

2 of 2 verb
profiled; profiling
1
: to represent in profile
2
: to produce a profile of

Medical Definition

profile

1 of 2 noun
pro·​file ˈprō-ˌfīl How to pronounce profile (audio)
1
: a set of data exhibiting the significant features of something and often obtained by multiple tests
the profile of CK isoenzymes in skeletal muscleA. J. Siegel & D. M. Dawson
2
: a graphic representation of the extent to which an individual or group exhibits traits as determined by tests or ratings
this group did not give a homogeneous personality profileDiseases of the Nervous System

profile

2 of 2 transitive verb
profiled; profiling
: to represent in profile or by a profile : produce a profile of (as by writing or graphing)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!