As a noun, a profile is a short description or outline of a person or thing, or a side view of someone’s face. As a verb, to profile means to describe someone’s main features, often in a systematic way.
From Italian *profilo*, from *profilare* 'to draw in outline', based on Latin *pro-* 'forward' and *filum* 'thread, line'. It originally referred to the outline or contour of a face or object.
A profile started as just a line drawing from the side—literally the 'line in front'. Today, your online profile is still like a sketch: a simplified outline of who you are, not the whole picture.
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