profiling

1. 1
   noununcountable

   Building a picture of what kind of person a criminal is, using clues from a crime.

   Like guessing what kind of person someone is from the clues they leave behind.

   Detectives used profiling to narrow down their list of suspects.

   Profiling helped the team guess what the attacker might do next.

   Note
2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of profile. Use this form when the action is happening now.

   The agency is profiling potential customers to target its ads.

   She spent the week profiling job applicants for the firm.

   Note
3. 3
   nounhistoricaluncountable

   The old army practice of putting up wooden guides so builders could shape the earth walls correctly.

   Like markers that show workers exactly where and how to build.

   The sergeant oversaw the profiling before the men began digging the wall.

   Careful profiling made sure each part of the rampart had the same shape.

   Note

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