A profile is a side view of someone's face, showing the outline from forehead to chin. Artists often draw profiles because they reveal the distinctive shape of a person's nose, chin, and forehead. Ancient coins showed rulers in profile, and the penny still shows Abraham Lincoln's profile today.

The word also means a brief description that captures the key facts about a person, place, or thing. A student might write a profile of their favorite author, highlighting important facts about the writer's life and work. Social media platforms let you create a profile with your photo, interests, and information about yourself. A detective might build a profile of a suspect, gathering details about their habits and background.

In both meanings, a profile gives you a quick but meaningful look at something. Just as a side view of a face shows its unique features, a written profile presents the most important and interesting information about its subject. When something gains attention, people say it has a high profile, meaning lots of people know about it. A low-profile person or organization, meanwhile, prefers to stay out of the spotlight and work quietly.

As a verb, profile means to describe someone or something in a profile, or to study and summarize key traits. A journalist might profile an athlete, and a scientist might profile a sample to learn what it's made of.