profile 1 of 2

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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profile

2 of 2

noun

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
Verb
To keep a low profile, her face was concealed underneath a baseball cap and sunglasses. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 1 July 2025 Once verified, users get a blue checkmark on their profile. Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 30 June 2025
Noun
Editor’s note: This story is one of 11 Middle Tennessee cold cases profiled by The Tennessean. Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Tackling transportation challenges Like most states, the 10 profiled in this report include urban, suburban, and rural areas. Jean Eddy, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for profile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profile
Verb
  • On her Instagram post for her second week of the challenge, Miller outlined her expenses: Regular bills: $291.88 (That also included $21.65 for subscriptions like streaming services, which Miller said doesn't make sense to cancel for a month and restart).
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 19 July 2025
  • Odds For Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier There are plenty of fight options for UFC 318, but as outlined above, the Holloway-Poirier fight will headline Saturday night.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
Noun
  • Trump's announcements amount to a declaration that the relationship must fundamentally change, and reactions by regional players carry vast implications for the flow of goods and the contours of geopolitics in the years to come.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 July 2025
  • Using accurate depth information and environmental learning, Vision AI helps the mower recognize terrain contours, guiding it to create optimal mowing paths.
    William Jones, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The Arsenal manager mentioned the midfielder could go on the three-match tour to the Far East, and he has been pictured training with the first team this week.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump, right, with then-Congressman Sean Duffy, are pictured in the Cabinet Room of the White House on January 24, 2019.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Anderson, specifically, took the bob one step further, adding micro bangs to round out the shape.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 15 July 2025
  • In addition to the new sound, the shape of the 6 N is obviously quite a bit different than that of the SUV-silhouette of the Ioniq 5.
    Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • The death of Simon Mariani, of Franklin Lakes, N.J., on Monday, June 14, was announced in a published obituary.
    David Chiu, People.com, 17 July 2025
  • Dana Ross worked as a human resources coordinator at Conestoga Energy in Southlake, according to her LinkedIn profile and online obituary.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • Math performance can be tricky for high schools to ace since it’s based on how well students perform on end-of-course exams in algebra and geometry.
    Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
  • University of Pennsylvania Using intricate geometry found in nature and refined through aerospace and biomedical design, scientists have now 3D-printed these forms into concrete to boost strength and capture carbon – creating a scalable building material that benefits both people and planet.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Last weekend’s 4-3 loss to the Houston Dynamo at Snapdragon Stadium may go down as the first gut-punch in franchise history.
    Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
  • The spending reduction amounts to the largest rollback of federal health-care support in history, Levitt said.
    Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • There’s also a more affordable configuration that gets the price down to $900, while still coming with 512 GB of storage.
    Simon Hill, Wired News, 12 July 2025
  • It was caused by poor configuration and an absence of basic security controls.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profile. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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