Synonyms of profile

profile 1 of 2

noun

1

as in contour

Synonyms & Similar 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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in character sketch

Synonyms & Similar 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

Synonyms & Similar 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

Since departing the White House, Biden has kept a relatively low profile, attending a Broadway show and a St. Patrick’s Day event but avoiding the spotlight. —Amie Parnes, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2025

Around the corner in an adjoining room, a silvery space-age pinball machine sits with a cartoon-style side profile of Pharrell Williams backlit above the screen that displays the score. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2025

Verb

According to the announcement, the doc profiles one of the greatest country music families of the modern era and the late Naomi Judd’s complicated relationship with her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025

One reason could be that the team is playing in colder weather to begin the year, but the Yankees do have several pitchers on staff who profile as slower-velocity pitchers. —Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025