profile 1 of 2

profile

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verb

as in to outline
to produce a representation of the shape of the head as seen from the side his likeness was profiled against a background of vegetation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun profile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of profile are contour, outline, and silhouette. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

Where would contour be a reasonable alternative to profile?

The synonyms contour and profile are sometimes interchangeable, but contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

When might outline be a better fit than profile?

While the synonyms outline and profile are close in meaning, outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When could silhouette be used to replace profile?

In some situations, the words silhouette and profile are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of profile
Noun
Setting up a profile and listing items is free and Vestiaire Collective allows sellers to set their own prices. Christina Pérez, Vogue, 1 May 2025 The grip feels natural, the buttons have that nice clicky feedback, and switching between device profiles is super quick. Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 1 May 2025
Verb
The meeting only solidifies a growing buzz around Henderson as a candidate for the Broncos at pick No. 20, a versatile back with top-of-his-class athleticism who profiles as a hand-in-glove fit in head coach Sean Payton’s offense. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025 Last year, Wired profiled a woman who made thousands of dollars fraudulently renting out Uber and DoorDash accounts before being arrested after Uber tipped off the FBI. Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for profile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profile
Noun
  • How Trump Will Change the World The contours and consequences of a second-term foreign policy.
    Antony J. Blinken, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
  • Unlike other styles with a flat surface, these have a contour that wraps around the outside of your foot and supports your arch.
    Shea Simmons, People.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • The hackers are now requesting additional ransoms from individual schools for this data, as one Toronto district outlined in a letter this week to parents and guardians.
    Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 8 May 2025
  • While a motive was not outlined during the trial, an inmate at Halifax County Adult Detention Center, where Frederick was being held, testified that Frederick admitted to killing his wife in June 2023, WSET-TV reported.
    Nicole Acosta, People.com, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • While the Trump administration is defending the ACA law in the case in question, should the federal government win, the precise shape preventive care coverage requirements will take depends on the discretion of Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy.
    Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • Consider this weekend our first warm-up for the W, the initial stretch to get our eyes and minds back into game-watching shape.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • Miller’s wedding to his fiancée was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 7, according to his obituary.
    David Chiu, People.com, 6 May 2025
  • More depressed than usual, Bud goes home, gets drunk and writes his own obituary.
    Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • The Washington Wizards, who last had the No. 1 pick in 2010, can picture Flagg in their lineup alongside Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington.
    Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • Nusbaum was pictured sitting alongside Joel Glazer, his fellow co-chairman Avram Glazer and chief operating officer Collette Roche during the Europa League quarter-final first leg in Lyon, shortly after an executive committee meeting (ExCo) in London.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Renaissance art Merging Perspective and Geometry The first steps in the path from Brunelleschi to Bitcoin involved connecting the visual geometry within the rules for perspective to Euclidean geometry, the orderly realm of lines and points that we’re taught in school.
    Richard Jensen, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The next pair, Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests, focuses on APIs more commonly used for game development to assess gaming geometry and particle effects.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Combs' lawyers have argued the law has a history of racial bias that rarely results in prosecution.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • An Unequal Society Is A Business Risk In India, DEI has a distinct trajectory shaped by a complex social fabric and a history of affirmative action.
    Paul Klein, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Premium economy updates Premium Plus seats on the 787-9s will feature privacy dividers and wireless charging, an update from the current premium economy configuration across United's fleet.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • The technology requires no client-side installation or complex network configuration.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profile. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

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