profile

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈprəʊfaɪl/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈproʊfaɪl/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

Singular profile

Plural profiles

1. (countable) A profile is a short biographical description of a person.

   Because it was known that the serial killer was a European adult male, the police used that profile to exclude all women, children, and racial minorities from their list of suspects.

2. (countable) A profile is a picture of a person.
3. (countable) A profile is the most visible parts of an object.
4. (countable) A profile is a person's head, being viewed from the side.

Verb

Plain form profile

Third-person singular profiles

Past tense profiled

Past participle profiled

Present participle profiling

1. (transitive) If somebody like the police or government profiles a person, they make judgements about them based on identifiable characteristics.

   Unfortunately, racial profiling causes problems for for Middle Eastern men when they fly.