profile
/ˈprəʊfaɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈprəʊfaɪl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈprō-ˌfī(-ə)l/ (ame, mw) · /ˈprəʊ.faɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈproʊ.faɪl/ (ame, ipa)
profile — noun
- profilesingular
- profilesplural
1. a short written piece that gives the main facts about a person's life, career, a
a short written piece that gives the main facts about a person's life, career, and character
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
Each candidate in the awards booklet has a profile highlighting their key achievements.
The exhibition catalogue includes a profile of every artist whose work is on display.
文法句型
a profile of [someone]
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. the personal information, pictures, and posts that a person puts on their page a
the personal information, pictures, and posts that a person puts on their page at a social media site or app
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.
You should set your profile to private so that strangers cannot see your personal details.
Aoi added a short biography to her professional profile on the networking site.
文法句型
[someone's] profile
profile on [platform]
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
3. the level of public interest, awareness, or discussion that a person, organisati
the level of public interest, awareness, or discussion that a person, organisation, or event attracts
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
Alessia kept a low profile after the controversy, avoiding interviews and public appearances.
High-profile court cases can shape public opinion about how the justice system works.
- 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
- obscurity
state of being unknown or unnoticed
文法句型
high/low profile
raise [someone's] profile
keep a low profile
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
4. the outline or shape that someone's face makes when viewed from the side rather
the outline or shape that someone's face makes when viewed from the side rather than the front
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
The old coin shows the emperor's profile facing towards the right.
Beatrix turned her head so that the photographer could capture her profile at sunset.
- 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'
- full face
front view of the face as opposed to side view
文法句型
in profile
[someone's] profile
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
profile — verb
- profilepresent simple I / you / we / they
- profiles3rd person singular
- profiling-ing form
- profiledpast simple
1. to write a short piece describing a person's career, background, and personality
to write a short piece describing a person's career, background, and personality for a publication or website
A local journalist profiled the couple who opened the first vegan bakery in the city.
profile [someone] — write a biographical piece about
The magazine profiled five young entrepreneurs under the age of twenty-five last month.
Each year the student newspaper profiles one outstanding graduate from every department.
Adina was profiled in the alumni newsletter for her research on coral reef restoration.
文法句型
profile [someone]
be profiled in/by [publication]
用法筆記
Typically used in journalism and publishing. The subject is usually a publication or a journalist, and the object is the person being written about. This verb is less frequent than the noun; learners more often encounter 'a profile of someone' than 'to profile someone'.
常見錯誤
2. to collect and examine information about people in order to place them into grou
to collect and examine information about people in order to place them into groups or predict their behaviour for marketing, security, or policing purposes
The marketing team profiled customers based on their shopping habits and where they lived.
profile customers by/on [criteria] — commercial data analysis
Police profiled the unknown suspect by studying patterns from similar past cases in the area.
The software profiles job applicants by scanning their public social media activity for key signals.
Some critics argue that profiling people by their neighbourhood can lead to unfair treatment.
- analyse
broader; can apply to any data, not only people
- categorise
focuses on sorting into groups rather than predicting behaviour
- segment
common in marketing; divides a customer base into subgroups
文法句型
profile [people/group]
profile [people] by [characteristic]
用法筆記
This sense is common in business, marketing, law enforcement, and computing contexts. In policing, 'to profile' often has negative associations with racial profiling and can carry ethical overtones. In marketing, it is a neutral technical term for customer segmentation.