profile 1 of 2

profile

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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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of profile
Noun
The noble profile of a solemn, aging Great Dane named Apollo dominates Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s The Friend, a movie nominally about the difficulties of caring for a pet in New York City. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025 Keep a distance from high profile vehicles such as trucks, buses and vehicles towing trailers. Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
Beck made his formerly public Instagram profile private, too. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025 In an effort to gain a clearer understanding of how the group operates, ProPublica has spent weeks identifying and profiling its staff. Christopher Bing, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for profile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profile
Noun
  • The Contour Book, $64 Frequently Asked Questions What’s the difference between contour and bronzer?
    Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 17 Mar. 2025
  • House Republicans unveiled a spending bill Saturday that would keep federal agencies funded through Sept. 30, pushing ahead with a go-it-alone strategy that seems certain to spark a major confrontation with Democrats over the contours of government spending.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Senate is expected to find far more than the floor outlined in the resolution, but the figures are aimed at giving them flexibility moving forward.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • However, some of the guidelines outlined in the iPLEDGE program were previously overly strict, confusing and non-inclusive.
    Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The creamy and crispy flavors all come together in Hershey’s iconic kiss shape, perfect for movie nights, road trips, or stashing in your desk drawer at work.
    Moná Thomas, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • From Carol Stream, Kyle Daily’s knives have playful handles with a contoured coke-bottle shape, whimsical file work along the spine and studs pressed in like polka-dots.
    Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In an online obituary, Maxwell's family and well-wishers remembered him as a cherished brother and son.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Corenswet knows Superman will lead his IMDb page, his Wikipedia entry, his obituary.
    Eliana Dockterman, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Another way of picturing DNA storage is as a fundamental reimagining of data—one that will open up new possibilities by allowing information to exist in new places.
    Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
  • By the end of October, Susan (pictured above at left, with Victoria Tamberrino) was testing out her cinnamon roll recipe in The NuWray’s ovens.
    Hanna Raskin, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • What was the sort of geometry of putting this cast together?
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Steel Nomad's regular and Light subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The result was one of the most transformative kitchen appliances in history, not because of new technology but because someone recognized an everyday problem—slow, inefficient cooking—applied a seemingly unrelated observation, and created a solution.
    Mark Nevins, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The ugly ending to their relationship doesn’t change the fact that Butler established himself as one of the greatest players in Heat history despite never winning an NBA championship during his time in Miami.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Balanced-bridge, dual-mono configuration is employed in all components, and both preamp and phono stage benefit from their power supplies being housed in a separate chassis, preventing interference with the sensitive phono and preamplifier circuits.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The Valkyrie is built around four Burr-Brown DACs in a hybrid multi-bit configuration, based on iFi’s experience using the multi-bit Philips TDA1541A. iFi says the design captures the magic and impact of the iconic Philips multi-bit chipset, but with lower-level linearity for more detail.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profile. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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