PROFILE


Meaning of PROFILE in English

I. ˈprō-ˌfī(-ə)l noun

Etymology: Italian profilo, from profilare to draw in outline, from pro- forward (from Latin) + filare to spin, from Late Latin — more at file

Date: 1645

1. : a representation of something in outline ; especially : a human head or face represented or seen in a side view

2. : an outline seen or represented in sharp relief : contour

3. : a side or sectional elevation: as

a. : a drawing showing a vertical section of the ground

b. : a vertical section of a soil from the ground surface to the underlying unweathered material

4. : a set of data often in graphic form portraying the significant features of something

a corporation's earnings profile

especially : a graph representing the extent to which an individual exhibits traits or abilities as determined by tests or ratings

5. : a concise biographical sketch

6. : degree or level of public exposure

trying to keep a low profile

a job with a high profile

Synonyms: see outline

II. transitive verb

( pro·filed ; pro·fil·ing )

Date: 1715

1. : to represent in profile or by a profile : produce (as by drawing, writing, or graphing) a profile of

2. : to shape the outline of by passing a cutter around

3. : to subject to profiling

• pro·fil·er noun

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.