PROFILE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

profile 1 of 2

noun

Definition of profile

as in contour

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Dissimilar Words

as in character sketch

Related Words

profile

2 of 2

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

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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

There’s a softer oak profile, and more rustic personality to shine through. — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026 Set the scene Rising above the greenery of Allen Parkway, Thompson Houston makes a confident statement with its glass-and-steel profile. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

Yesterday, Allessandra DiCorato profiled cancer biologist and first-year resident physician Neal Carleton, whose work is focused on improving treatment for older patients with breast cancer. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026 This time last year, Deadline profiled Shaka iLembe, the South African-shot story of King Shaka, the famous pre-colonial era Zulu ruler. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for profile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for profile

Noun

The multitasking device temporarily boosts radiance, improves firmness, and sculpts the look of facial contours—all in just a few minutes a day.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 29 Sep. 2026
The precise contour creates a modern, striking look and gives the hair structure and character.

— Lena Raab, Glamour, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of contour

Verb

Minutes from the April 19 meeting outlined how the government opted for just one round of readiness checks before launching its emergency vaccination program due to time constraints, instead of the typical four rounds.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Trump’s post outlining a clear plan for construction complicates a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers opposing the construction.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of outline

Noun

The wide-leg pants keep things relaxed, and the ruched waist on the knit top adds shape and makes the whole look feel more polished than a standard sweatshirt set.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
Part of its purpose, from the beginning, was not only to deliver new facts but to interpret ragged events for a nervous audience of relatively prosperous, largely white viewers who shared Wallace’s concern about the shape and tenor of the future.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of shape

Noun

The 40 recipes were all approved by family members of the deceased, whom Grant tracked down mostly through internet sleuthing (obituaries and social media) to ask permission to publish.

— Jessi Roti, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Flaco the owl became a celebrity Central Park resident, with breathless news coverage of Flaco’s impressive self-preservation skills and, eventually, mournful obituaries when Flaco died after flying into a building.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of obituary

Verb

According to Vogue, on display in the sunroom (presumably where Dietrich is pictured here) was a piece called Zebra and Black Panther With Cacti, signed by the artist Charles Baskerville.

— Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
That is until yachting fan King Constantine of Greece spotted an advertisement in Time magazine that pictured a Hublot against the background of a raging sea with a glimpse of sailboat in the corner.

— Simon de Burton, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of picture

Noun

Its retreat has altered the glacier’s geometry and relationship with the seafloor, meaning that simply reducing ocean melting may not restore its earlier state on century-long timescales.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Steel Nomad's regular and Light subtests focus on APIs more commonly used in game development, such as Metal and DirectX 12, to assess gaming performance for geometry and particle effects.

— Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of geometry

Noun

The worst security failure in the country’s history raised troubling questions about whether the financial lifeline helped to sustain Hamas’s grip on power and, in turn, enabled it to carry out the assault.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
Speed is now free, which means, for the first time in history, speed is worthless.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of history

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proficients

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“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profile. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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