Profiling
/ˈproʊfaɪlɪŋ/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe act of creating a summary or analysis of a person or group, often to predict their behavior or characteristics.
/ˈproʊfaɪlɪŋ/
The act of creating a psychological or behavioral summary of an individual or group.
Racial profiling is illegal in many jurisdictions.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to figure out what makes someone tick. Profiling is like making a detailed 'user manual' for them, looking at their past actions, habits, and what they might do next. Like, if you're trying to guess what kind of movie a person would like based on their favorite books and music.
👶 For kids: It's like drawing a picture of someone in your mind by looking at all the things they like and do.
More Examples
The FBI used geographic profiling to narrow down the suspect pool.
Customer profiling helps businesses better understand their target audience.
How It's Used
"Police use criminal profiling to identify potential suspects."
"Companies use customer profiling to tailor their marketing strategies."
"The journalist conducted a detailed profile of the politician's career."
To provide a description or analysis of someone or something, typically based on collected information.
/ˈproʊfaɪlɪŋ/
To create a profile of someone or something.
The detective is profiling the suspect to understand their motives.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're writing a detailed biography or 'getting to know you' for someone or something. You're listing all the important things about them so other people can understand who or what they are, like profiling a famous artist or a new car.
👶 For kids: To tell everyone about a person or a thing by describing all the things they do and like.
More Examples
The magazine is profiling several entrepreneurs in the tech industry.
The team profiled the risks associated with the project.
How It's Used
"The newspaper is profiling the town's local heroes."
"Researchers are profiling the lifestyle choices of modern families."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
racial profiling
The practice of singling out people for suspicion or investigation based on their race or ethnicity.
"Racial profiling by law enforcement is a serious violation of civil rights."
geographic profiling
A method of crime analysis that uses the locations of a series of crimes to determine the most probable area of offender residence.
"Geographic profiling is often used in cases of serial crimes."
From "profile" (noun), meaning a side view or outline, influenced by the act of creating a summary or record. The verb form emerged later, likely around the late 20th century, with its contemporary meaning.
The term gained prominence in the late 20th century with the rise of behavioral sciences and criminology, particularly in the context of law enforcement.
Memory tip
Think of creating a detailed profile picture for a person, but with information instead of a visual.
Word Origin
"outline; side view"