Synonyms of profile

profile 1 of 2

noun

1

as in contour

Related Words

• contour
• outline
• shape
• geometry
• configuration
• silhouette
• form
• frame
• fashion
• framework
• conformation
• organization
• cast
• shell
• figure
• plan
• design
• pattern
• skeleton
• format
• setup
• layout
• arrangement
• makeup

Dissimilar Words

• material
• composition
• matter
• substance
• stuff
• raw material

2

as in character sketch

Related Words

• character sketch
• obituary
• history
• past
• chronicle
• biography
• story
• bio
• psychobiography
• pathography
• autobiography
• hagiography
• tell-all
• memoir
• life

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

Related Words

• outline
• picture
• draw
• cartoon
• caricature
• ink
• pencil
• sketch
• crayon
• scribble
• scrawl

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

Recent Examples of profile

Noun

To apply, students will need to submit a short pet profile, veterinary records, confirmation that the pet has lived with the student or their family for at least six months and an off-campus emergency caretake within 350 miles of campus. —Riley Moser, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026

The cucumbers added a little tang to the flavor profile. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026

Verb

More modern analytical methods (such as two-dimensional gas chromatography and Raman spectroscopy) are now being used to profile and differentiate dragon’s blood resins from different species. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Police in the region, meanwhile, said off-duty law enforcement officers have been racially profiled by federal officers and stopped without cause. —Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026