profile 1 of 2

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

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profile

2 of 2

noun

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
Verb
To keep a low profile, her face was concealed underneath a baseball cap and sunglasses. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 1 July 2025 Once verified, users get a blue checkmark on their profile. Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 30 June 2025
Noun
That tax officer is not supposed to profile me or match my donations with other sources to infer my politics, my religion or health issues. Hessie Jones, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Throughout this time, Todd set more than 60 national and world records and was profiled by Sports Illustrated in 1977. The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for profile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profile
Verb
  • In an exclusive interview with CNBC earlier this week, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown outlined a leadership approach centered on urgency, momentum and learning from failure.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 July 2025
  • The county has outlined terms for a new lease agreement that would be for 11 years, including the 2025 season, with options for five two-year extensions.
    Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • Trump's announcements amount to a declaration that the relationship must fundamentally change, and reactions by regional players carry vast implications for the flow of goods and the contours of geopolitics in the years to come.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 July 2025
  • Using accurate depth information and environmental learning, Vision AI helps the mower recognize terrain contours, guiding it to create optimal mowing paths.
    William Jones, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The Arsenal manager mentioned the midfielder could go on the three-match tour to the Far East, and he has been pictured training with the first team this week.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump, right, with then-Congressman Sean Duffy, are pictured in the Cabinet Room of the White House on January 24, 2019.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Lin's way of breaking down languages by the shape of their words rather than their sounds or alphabets meant his machine theoretically can type English, Russian and Japanese as well, according to the typewriter's manual.
    Emily Feng, NPR, 5 July 2025
  • The memory foam also helps relieve pressure on your joints by conforming to the shape of your body.
    Christopher Murray may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • But once an All-Star, always an All-Star — and indeed, when Stearns died in 2021, the first line of his obituary called him a four-time All-Star.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 9 July 2025
  • Harris died in February and was 37 years old, per his obituary.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • Each structure on the island has been built according to sacred geometry, reinforcing energetic coherence.
    Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • All of those results reflect the new political geometry of health care: Since the passage of the ACA, federal health care programs have extended their reach up the income ladder even as Trump’s political strength among working-class voters has extended the GOP’s grasp down the income ladder.
    Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Last weekend’s 4-3 loss to the Houston Dynamo at Snapdragon Stadium may go down as the first gut-punch in franchise history.
    Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
  • The spending reduction amounts to the largest rollback of federal health-care support in history, Levitt said.
    Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • There’s also a more affordable configuration that gets the price down to $900, while still coming with 512 GB of storage.
    Simon Hill, Wired News, 12 July 2025
  • It was caused by poor configuration and an absence of basic security controls.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profile. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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