Profiil

Profiil is a noun in Estonian meaning profile, silhouette, or cross-section. In its general sense it denotes a profile or outline of something, or a summarized representation of an entity. In everyday use, profiil most commonly refers to a personal profile on a website or service, including basic information, a photo, and preferences; it can also denote a person’s public image or a short biographical description.

In technical contexts, profiil describes the cross-sectional shape or contour of an object, such as a metal or plastic profile used in construction, furniture, or machinery, or the outline of a component when viewed from the side. In architecture and civil engineering, a profile describes the elevation or silhouette along a path or at a given section.

In data management and marketing, a profile aggregates attributes such as demographics, behavior, and interests to describe a person or user for identification, personalization, or analysis. The term is common in computing, social media, customer relationship management (CRM), and research.

Etymology: The word profiil is derived from the French profil or the German Profil, with cognates in many European languages. In Estonian, the spelling profiil is standardized, and related terms include kasutajaprofiil for a user profile. Profiil is used in both personal and non-personal contexts to denote the concept of an outline, identity, or data representation.