profiling
noun
pro·fil·ing
| \ ˈprō-ˌfī-liŋ
\
\
Definition of profiling
: the act or process of extrapolating information about a person based on known traits or tendencies
consumer profiling
specifically
: the act of suspecting or targeting a person on the basis of observed characteristics or behavior
racial profiling
Examples of profiling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Police were accused of racial profiling in traffic stops, of treating blacks with aggression. — Jeff Roberson, Fortune, "In Ferguson, Varying Views on the Legacy of Aug. 9, 2014," 9 Aug. 2019 Many in the media took it as a case of racial profiling—that Winslow was the victim. — Robert Klemko, SI.com, "You Never Knew Kellen Winslow Jr.," 13 June 2019 Among the most contentious bills was one pushed by civil rights organizations to collect data on the race of everyone stopped by police statewide to shed light on racial profiling. — Melanie Mason, Los Angeles Times, "Black men killed by police – what did Kamala Harris do about it?," 6 Aug. 2019 ICE Acting Field Office Director Elizabeth Godfrey of Portland denied allegations of racial profiling in a letter to the lawmakers last October, writing that the officers identified themselves as ICE agents and never tried to detain Andrade-Tafolla. — oregonlive.com, "ACLU files $100,000 claim after American citizen was questioned by ICE outside Washington County Courthouse," 12 Aug. 2019 According to Stewart, when 16-year-old Cameron Robinson accused officers of racial profiling, the mall security officer grabbed him by the neck and slammed him on his head. — NBC News, "African American teens say they were handcuffed, attacked by dog at Alabama mall," 2 July 2019 The crackdown has raised concerns among the Chinese American community of racial profiling. — Brian Owens, Science | AAAS, "Mystery surrounds ouster of Chinese researchers from Canadian laboratory," 19 July 2019 Landau said in an email, suggesting that racial profiling is at play. — Annie Sciacca, The Mercury News, "From 2015 to ’18, Contra Costa cops seized $1.1 million from people not charged with a crime," 14 June 2019 Her airport incident echoes that of other black stars, including Meek Mill, SZA and Sherri Shepherd, who recently took to social media to accuse various retailers of racial profiling. — Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE.com, "RHOA's Porsha Williams Calls Out ‘Completely Racist’ LAX Restaurant," 13 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'profiling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for profiling
profiling
noun
English Language Learners Definition of profiling
: the act or process of learning information about someone based on what is already known
: the act or practice of regarding particular people as more likely to commit crimes because of their appearance, race, etc.
See the full definition for profiling in the English Language Learners Dictionary
profiling
noun
pro·fil·ing
Legal Definition of profiling
: the practice of singling out persons for law enforcement procedures on the basis of predetermined characteristics
specifically
: the discriminatory practice of profiling based on race or ethnicity
racial profiling