Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

criminal profiling

Noun

/ˈkrɪmɪnəl ˈproʊfaɪlɪŋ/

Definition

Criminal profiling is the process of analyzing the behaviors, patterns, and characteristics of individuals who commit crimes to predict and identify potential offenders.

Examples

Criminal profiling can assist investigators in narrowing down suspects in a complex case.
The detective used criminal profiling techniques to understand the motives behind the series of robberies.
Many police departments have specialists in criminal profiling to help solve difficult cases.

Meaning

The aim of criminal profiling is to develop a psychological and behavioral profile of an unknown perpetrator based on evidence from the crime scene and knowledge about typical criminal behavior.