profiling

American

[proh-fahy-ling] / ˈproʊ faɪ lɪŋ /

noun

the use of personal characteristics or behavior patterns to make generalizations about a person, as in
the use of these characteristics to determine whether a person may be engaged in illegal activity, as in

profiling British

/ ˈprəʊˌfaɪlɪŋ /

noun

the practice of categorizing people and predicting their behaviour according to particular characteristics such as race or age

racial profiling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This passion for understanding the dimensions of profiling would forever shape Harris’ storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

But thanks to a breakthrough in DNA profiling, that's now changed.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

DNA profiling was in the early stages so it couldn't be used, but Dr Richard Shepherd, former Home Office forensic pathologist, said evidence from the body led them to the truth.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Even Palantir’s own employees have expressed concerns about potential ethnic profiling and democratic norms.

From Slate • Jan. 28, 2026

Justyce already knew about the superpredator myth—he’d stumbled upon the whole thing while trying to deal with his own profiling trauma.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023