profiling (n.)

by 1852 as a term in field engineering, verbal noun from profile (v.). By 1888 as "the drawing of profiles." The racial/ethnic stereotyping sense is attested from c. 1991, American English, probably on the notion of "fitting (someone) to a profile."

also from 1852

Entries linking to profiling

profile (v.)

1715, "to represent in profile, draw with a side view," from profile (n.) or Italian profilare. Meaning "to summarize a person in writing" is from 1948. Related: Profiled; profiling.

Trends of profiling

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

interpret

late 14c., "expound the meaning of, render clear or explicit," from Old French interpreter "explain; translate" (13c.) and directly from Latin interpretari "explain, expound, understand," from interpres "agent, translator," from inter "between" (see inter-) + second element proba

represent

late 14c., representen, "show, display, express; bring to mind by description," also "to symbolize, serve as a sign or symbol of (something else, something abstract); serve as the type or embodiment of;" also be a representative of" (the authority of another). This is from Old Fr

compose

c. 1400, compousen, "to write" (a book), from Old French composer "put together, compound; adjust, arrange; write" a work (12c.), from com- "with, together" (see com-) + poser "to place," from Late Latin pausare "to cease, lay down" (see pause (n.)). Meaning influenced in Old Fre

identification

1640s, "treating of a thing as the same as another; act of making or proving to be the same," from French identification, probably from identifier (see identify). Psychological sense of "becoming or feeling oneself one with another" is from 1857. Meaning "act or process of determ

indite

formerly also endite, late 14c., "put down in writing," from Old French enditer, enditier "dictate, write; draw up, draft; (legally) indict," from Vulgar Latin *indictare, from Latin in- "in, into, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + dictare "to declare," frequentative of dicere

pen

late 13c., penne, "writing implement made from the hard, hollow stem at the base of a feather," from Old French pene "quill pen; feather" (12c.) and directly from Latin penna "a feather, plume," in plural "a wing," in Late Latin, "a pen for writing," from Old Latin petna, pesna,

write

Old English writan "to score, outline, draw the figure of," later "to set down in writing" (class I strong verb; past tense wrat, past participle writen), from Proto-Germanic *writan "tear, scratch" (source also of Old Frisian writa "to write," Old Saxon writan "to tear, scratch,

spick-and-span

also spic-and-span, "very neat, clean, and trim," 1660s, from spick-and-span-new "new and fresh" (1570s), literally "new as a recently made spike and wood-chip." It seems to be an elaboration, with spick "nail" (see spike (n.1)), of older span-new "very new," in reference to some

newel

mid-14c., nouel, nowel, "pillar from which steps of a winding stair radiate, stone cut to form a step and a section of the central pillar of a spiral stair," from Old French noel, noiel, novel "knob, newel, kernel, stone" (Modern French noyau), from Vulgar Latin *nodellus "little

penthouse

c. 1300, pentis, pendize, "a shed or sloping roof projecting from a main wall or the side or end of a building," from Anglo-French pentiz, a shortening of Old French apentis "attached building, appendage," from Medieval Latin appendicium, from Latin appendere "to hang" (see appen

Share profiling

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/profiling

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/profiling">Etymology of profiling by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of profiling. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/profiling

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of profiling,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/profiling.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of profiling.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/profiling. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of profiling.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/profiling (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on December 01, 2020

Remove ads >

Dictionary entries near profiling

professorship

proffer

proficiency

proficient

profile

profiling

profit

profitability

profitable

profiteer

profitless