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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

profile en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpɹoʊ.faɪl/ (Canada, General-American)
  • [ˈpɹɐu̯.fɑe̯l] (New-Zealand)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈpɹəʊ.faɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹoʊ.fiːl/ (obsolete)
  • /ˈpɹəʉfɑel/ (Australia)
  • (New-Jersey) audio
  • /pɹoʊˈfiːl/ (obsolete)
  • /ˈpɹoʊ.fɪl/ (obsolete)

Etymology

From French profil, from Italian profilo (“a border”), later also proffilo (“a side-face, profile”), from Latin pro (“before”) + filo (“a line, stroke, thread”), from filum (“a thread”); see file. Doublet of purfle.

Meanings

  1. (countable) The outermost shape, view, or edge of an object.
    • His fingers traced the profile of the handle.
  2. (countable) The shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side; a side view.
    • Driver's licenses have a photograph of the person on them, which is in full face if the person is above legal drinking age, or in profile if not.
    • The brooch showed the profile of a Victorian woman.
  3. (countable) A summary or collection of information, especially about a person.
    • Law enforcement assembled a profile of the suspect.
  4. (Internet, countable) A specific page or field in which users can provide various types of personal information in software or Internet systems.
    • I just updated my Facebook profile to show I got engaged.
    • After getting permisssion from my mom, I personal messaged ten different Harveys from her profile who seemed “obviously” Native and lived in Phoenix. 2018, Tommy Orange, “Edwin Black”, in There There, New York, N.Y.: Vintage Books, →ISBN, page 69:
  5. (figuratively, uncountable) Reputation, prominence; noticeability.
    • Acting is, by nature, profession in which one must keep a high profile.
  6. (uncountable) The amount by which something protrudes.
    • Choose a handle with a low profile so it does not catch on things.
  7. (countable, uncountable) A smoothed (e.g., troweled or brushed) vertical surface of an excavation showing evidence of at least one feature or diagnostic specimen; the graphic recording of such as by sketching, photographing, etc.
  8. (countable, uncountable) Character; totality of related characteristics; signature; status (especially in scientific, technical, or military uses).
    • What's the thermal profile on that thing?
  9. (countable, uncountable) A section of any member, made at right angles with its main lines, showing the exact shape of mouldings etc.
  10. (countable, uncountable) A drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground along a surveyed line, or graded work, as of a railway, showing elevations, depressions, grades, etc.
  11. (countable, slang, uncountable) An exemption from certain types of duties due to injury or disability.
  12. (countable) A user's preferences.
    • A roaming profile allows your settings to follow you from one computer to another across a network.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
profiles Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

semi-profile · social profile · high-profile · Voigt profile · immunoprofile · profilometric · long profile · profilometry · profilee · profilometer · profile picture · high profile · keep a low profile · risk profile · microprofile · geoprofile · seroprofile · profilograph · spoligoprofile · low profile · racial profile · low-profile · side profile · glycoprofile · thermoprofile · in profile · light profile · profilist · RNA expression profile

Synonyms

contour

Translations (120)

ja 横顔 (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu jelenlét (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · fr profil (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · fr profil (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · fi profiili (amount by which something protrudes) · is prófíll (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · fi profiili (outermost shape) · sv profil (outermost shape) · ru про́филь (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · be про́філь (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · uk про́філь (outermost shape) · hu leírás (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · hu profil (architecture: section of any member) · cs profil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu feltűnés (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · tr profil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · fi siluetti (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu profil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu metszet (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · hu portré (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · be про́філь (outermost shape) · fi sivukuva (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · fi vapautus (military: exemption from duty) · mi kōtaha (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · fi poikkileikkaus (architecture: section of any member) · fr contour (outermost shape) · ar سِيرَة (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · az profil (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · de Profil (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · uk про́філь (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · hu oldalnézet (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hy հատկագիր (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · pt perfil (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · ru про́филь (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · mk профил (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · hu profil (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · de Benutzerprofil (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · hu életrajzvázlat (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · el προφίλ (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu vázlat (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · hu ismertető (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · ko 프로필 (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · gd iomradh (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · ja プロファイル (amount by which something protrudes) · hu jellemtanulmány (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · mi topenga (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu profil (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · hu szelvény (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · hu kontúr (outermost shape) · fr profil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · fi leikkaus (archaeology: smoothed vertical surface of an excavation) · ga próifíl (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · ru про́филь (amount by which something protrudes) · hu arcél (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · hu kiemelkedés (amount by which something protrudes) · fi profiili (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · hu láthatóság (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · ar صُورَة جَانِبِيَّة (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · eo profilo (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · fa نیمرخ (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · it profilo (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · cmn 簡介欄 /简介栏 (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · fi ääriviiva (outermost shape) · hu metszetrajz (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · ja 注目度 (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · nl profiel (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · cmn 輪廓 /轮廓 (outermost shape) · ar حُدُود خَارِجِيَّة (outermost shape) · hu szelvényrajz (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · ga próifíl (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · it profilo (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · it profilo (outermost shape) · hu jellemzők (totality of related characteristics) · ar بُرُوز (amount by which something protrudes) · cmn 側面 /侧面 (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · ar شُهْرَة (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · ko 약력 (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · hu idom (architecture: section of any member) · sv profil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · uk про́філь (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · ko 옆얼굴 (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · ja プロフィール (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · eo profilo (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · fi profiili (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · fi henkilökuva (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · uk про́філь (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · fi profiili (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · ru про́филь (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · hu aktivitás (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · fi poikkileikkaus (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · fi esiintyminen (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · fi ulkonema (amount by which something protrudes) · mi kōtaha (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · ga próifíl (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · hu összefoglaló (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · es perfil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · it profilo (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · sv profil (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · ja プロフィール (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · fi profiili (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · ko 프로파일 (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · hu észrevehetőség (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · hu körvonal (outermost shape) · ja 輪郭 (outermost shape) · hu dudor (amount by which something protrudes) · es perfil (outermost shape) · hu jellemzés (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · es reseña (summary or collection of information, especially about a person) · tr yanay (civil engineering: drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground) · fi profiili (archaeology: smoothed vertical surface of an excavation) · mi kōtaha (outermost shape) · cmn 資料頁 /资料页 (space with personal information in software or Internet systems) · fi profiili (reputation; prominence; noticeability) · pt perfil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · de Profil (shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side) · ko 윤곽 (outermost shape) · ru про́филь (outermost shape) · fi profiili (architecture: section of any member) · fi ominaisuudet (totality of related characteristics) · ga próifíl (outermost shape)

profile en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpɹoʊ.faɪl/ (Canada, General-American)
  • [ˈpɹɐu̯.fɑe̯l] (New-Zealand)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈpɹəʊ.faɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹoʊ.fiːl/ (obsolete)
  • /ˈpɹəʉfɑel/ (Australia)
  • (New-Jersey) audio
  • /pɹoʊˈfiːl/ (obsolete)
  • /ˈpɹoʊ.fɪl/ (obsolete)

Etymology

From French profil, from Italian profilo (“a border”), later also proffilo (“a side-face, profile”), from Latin pro (“before”) + filo (“a line, stroke, thread”), from filum (“a thread”); see file. Doublet of purfle.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To create a summary or collection of information about (a person, etc.).
    • Brianna was profiled as a teen with an unstable living situation and a habit of moving between houses. 2026 July 16, Nicholas Muhoro, “Inside the 2004 Brianna Maitland Case: One of Vermont’s Most Haunting Mysteries”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 21 Jul 2026:
    • The book The Men with the Pink Triangles, profiling the lives of gay prisoners in the German concentration camp. 1984 April 7, Warren Blumenfeld, “Boston's Other Voice”, in Gay Community News, page 11:
    • A resource that profiles the important language of secondary disciplines by adapting the methods of EAP research could therefore be very useful for such pedagogy. 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Advancing disciplinary literacy through English for academic purposes: Discipline-specific wordlists, collocations and word families for eight secondary subjects”, in Journal of English for Academic Purposes, volume 35, →DOI, page 106:
  2. To act based on such a summary, especially one that is a stereotype; to engage in profiling.
  3. (transitive) To draw in profile or outline.
  4. (transitive) To give a definite form by chiselling, milling, etc.
  5. (transitive) To measure the performance of various parts of (a program) so as to locate bottlenecks.
    • […] a complete and intuitive profiler that supports numerous types of profiling modes and profilable applications. 2006, Dr. Dobb's Journal:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
profiled Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
profiled Tense=Past lexicographic
profiling Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
profiles Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

racially-profile · reprofile · profilable · unprofiled

Translations (5)

fi profiloida (to create a summary or collection of information) · es perfilar (to create a summary or collection of information) · ru профили́ровать (to act based on such a summary; especially, to act on a stereotype) · es perfilar ((engineering) to give a definite form) · es perfilar (to draw in profile or outline)