Profile
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/
Definitions
5 meaningsA representation of something, particularly a side view of a face or a concise summary of someone's characteristics.
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/
A representation of someone or something, especially a side view of a face.
The museum displayed a series of ancient Roman profiles.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're drawing someone's face looking sideways - that's a profile. Or think of a short biography that tells you all about someone – that's also a profile, but of a person, or a company.
👶 For kids: A drawing of someone's face from the side, or a short story about someone!
More Examples
She created a professional profile on LinkedIn to help her find a job.
How It's Used
"The artist sketched a detailed profile of the queen."
"Check your profile to make sure everything is correct."
A short, detailed description of someone or something, often highlighting key characteristics or background information.
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/
A brief biographical sketch or summary of a person's qualities or character.
The news channel aired a profile of the town's mayor.
💡 Simply: It's like a short story that describes all the important parts of someone or something. Like when you read a magazine article that tells you all about a famous person, that's a profile.
👶 For kids: A short story about someone or something, telling you all the interesting things!
More Examples
Her online dating profile highlighted her adventurous spirit.
How It's Used
"The magazine published a fascinating profile of the local entrepreneur."
"The job application required a candidate profile."
To create a summary or a brief overview, characterising a person, place or thing.
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/
To create a short, biographical sketch or summary of a person or thing.
The detective profiled the suspect based on their behavior.
💡 Simply: To write a short story or summary about someone, giving you the important details. Think of a journalist 'profiling' a newsworthy person or entity. Think of a website 'profiling' your information to show you relevant ads.
👶 For kids: To write a story about someone so people can learn all about them!
More Examples
The website allows users to profile their skills.
How It's Used
"The journalist profiled the artist."
"We will profile the candidates to identify the best fit."
To analyze data or information about someone or something to determine their characteristics or potential behavior.
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/
To analyze data or behavior in order to create a risk assessment or to identify characteristics of an individual.
The marketing team profiled the target audience based on their online behavior.
💡 Simply: Like when detectives use clues and data to figure out what a criminal might do next. Or, think of a computer analyzing your online behavior to give you personalized ads. That's a form of profiling.
👶 For kids: To study people or things to try to understand them better and guess what they might do!
More Examples
Security agencies use profiling to identify potential threats.
How It's Used
"Police profile criminals to predict their actions."
"They used AI to profile user behavior to detect threats."
The outline of an object, person, or surface as viewed from the side.
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/
The outline of an object, person, or surface.
The mountain's rugged profile dominated the landscape.
💡 Simply: Think of the shape you see when you look at something from the side. Like the outline of a mountain or a building. Or when you see a side view drawing of a person's face, that's their profile.
👶 For kids: The shape of something when you look at it from the side!
More Examples
The designer altered the profile of the building.
How It's Used
"The engineer adjusted the profile of the airplane wing."
"The building's profile against the skyline was striking."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
raise someone's profile
To increase someone's visibility or recognition, or to make something more well known.
"The charity's work has helped to raise their profile and attract more donors."
From Italian *profilo*, diminutive of *filo* 'thread, outline'. Adopted into English in the 17th century, initially referring to a side view of a face or head.
Initially used to describe a side view in art, it expanded in meaning over time to encompass biographical sketches and summaries.
Memory tip
Think of a face seen from the side - a profile. Or a short summary.
Word Origin
"outline, side view"