profile

profile — noun

1. a short written piece that gives the main facts about a person's life, career, a

1.nounB2
Definition

a short written piece that gives the main facts about a person's life, career, and character

Example

The newspaper published a profile of the new mayor, covering her career from law school to city hall.

Sophia read the professor's profile on the university website before applying to join her research group.

a profile of someone — biographical summary in academic context

Common collocations
  • a profile of someone
  • write a profile
  • publish a profile
  • biographical profile
  • career profile
  • company profile (of people)
Synonyms
  • biography

    longer and more detailed than a profile; usually covers a whole life

  • sketch

    shorter and less formal than a profile; may focus on a single aspect

  • portrait

    more literary and subjective; emphasises personality and character

Grammar Patterns

a profile of [someone]

Usage Note

Used especially in journalism, publishing, and professional contexts. A profile is typically a neutral or positive summary of someone's background, not a critical evaluation.

Common Mistakes

The leaflet has a profile of the company's products.
The leaflet has a description of the company's products.
'profile' is used for people, not products or objects.

2. the personal information, pictures, and posts that a person puts on their page a

2.nounB1
Definition

the personal information, pictures, and posts that a person puts on their page at a social media site or app

Example

Linh updated her profile picture to show the cherry blossoms at the park last spring.

profile picture — image on a social media page

Ramón's profile says he grew up in a small town in Oaxaca and now lives in Mexico City.

Common collocations
  • profile picture
  • create a profile
  • update your profile
  • online profile
  • social media profile
  • profile page
  • professional profile
Synonyms
  • page

    less personal; can refer to a brand or organisation page, not just an individual

  • account

    broader than profile; includes login credentials and settings, not just the visible page

Grammar Patterns

[someone's] profile

profile on [platform]

Usage Note

This sense is always tied to a specific online platform. 'Profile' here refers to the entire page or account representation, not just one piece of information.

Common Mistakes

My LinkedIn description is outdated.
My LinkedIn profile is outdated.
On social platforms, the whole page is called a 'profile', not a 'description'.

3. the level of public interest, awareness, or discussion that a person, organisati

3.nounC1
Definition

the level of public interest, awareness, or discussion that a person, organisation, or event attracts

Example

The young singer's profile rose sharply after her performance at the festival went viral online.

[someone's] profile rose — became more publicly noticed

The charity event raised the organisation's profile among local businesses and potential donors.

raise [someone's] profile — increase public awareness of

Common collocations
  • high profile
  • low profile
  • raise someone's profile
  • keep a low profile
  • public profile
  • high-profile (adj)
  • profile-raising
Synonyms
  • visibility

    more neutral; focuses on how easily something is seen or noticed

  • prominence

    suggests importance and standing out among others

  • attention

    broader and less specific; not limited to public figures

  • exposure

    focuses on media coverage and audience reach

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

high/low profile

raise [someone's] profile

keep a low profile

Usage Note

Frequently used in fixed phrases: 'keep a low profile' (avoid attention), 'raise your profile' (seek more attention), and the compound adjective 'high-profile' (attracting a lot of attention). The word itself is uncountable in this sense except in the compound.

Common Mistakes

The company has a high level of profile.
The company has a high profile.
'profile' in this sense does not need 'level of'; use the fixed phrase directly.

4. the outline or shape that someone's face makes when viewed from the side rather

4.nounA2
Definition

the outline or shape that someone's face makes when viewed from the side rather than the front

Example

The artist sketched the model's profile as she sat looking out of the window.

In the dim light, Tariro could see only her father's profile against the kitchen window.

[someone's] profile against [something] — seen in silhouette

Common collocations
  • in profile
  • drawn in profile
  • profile view
  • profile portrait
  • silhouette profile
  • right profile
  • left profile
Synonyms
  • silhouette

    emphasises the dark outline against a lighter background; profile is the side view silhouette

  • outline

    more general; can refer to any shape, not just a face

  • side view

    more literal and less specialised than 'profile'

Antonyms
  • full face

    front view of the face as opposed to side view

Grammar Patterns

in profile

[someone's] profile

Usage Note

Often used in art, photography, and portraiture. The phrase 'in profile' means 'seen from the side'. Unlike other noun senses, this one can also refer to the outline of an object, though that use is rarer in everyday English.

Common Mistakes

She has a pretty profile from the front.
She has a pretty profile from the side.
A profile is specifically the side view, not the front view.
Idioms

a high/low profile

idiom

The level of public attention or notice that someone or something receives.

The charity event had a high profile because many celebrities attended.

After the scandal, the politician kept a low profile for several months.

profile — verb

Word family

  • profiling
    nounC1
  • high-profile
    adjectiveC1
  • low-profile
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a written account of a person, but they differ in length, depth, and purpose. A 'biography' is a full-length book or extended piece covering someone's entire life in detail. A 'profile' is shorter — typically a few paragraphs or pages — focusing on key achievements and character, often written for a newspaper or website. A 'sketch' is even briefer, sometimes highlighting just one aspect of a person, and feels more informal. A 'portrait' in this context is a literary or artistic description that emphasises personality and inner character rather than factual milestones. A 'summary' is the most general — it condenses any information, not just about people. For example: 'The magazine published a profile of the new CEO.' 'She wrote a brief biographical sketch of her grandmother for a family website.' 'The book offers a vivid portrait of life in rural Japan.'

biography ↗sketch ↗portrait ↗summary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • profile picture
  • profile page
  • profile information
  • profile data

Adverbs

  • briefly profiled
  • publicly profiled

Phrases

  • a detailed profile
  • a personal profile
  • a professional profile
  • an online profile

Prepositions

  • profile of
  • profile in

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'profile' entered English in the mid-1600s from Italian 'profilo', which combined 'pro-' (forward) and 'filo' (thread or line), literally meaning 'a line drawn around'. It originally referred to the side outline of a face in art. By the 1700s it had broadened to mean any concise written representation of a person. The modern social-media and data-analysis senses emerged in the late 20th century as technology created new ways to represent and categorise people.