Portuguese

noun

Por·​tu·​guese ˈpȯr-chə-ˌgēz How to pronounce Portuguese (audio)
-ˌgēs;
ˌpȯr-chə-ˈgēz,
-ˈgēs How to pronounce Portuguese (audio)
plural Portuguese
1
a
: a native or inhabitant of Portugal
b
: one who is of Portuguese descent
2
: the Romance language of Portugal and Brazil
Portuguese adjective

Examples of Portuguese in a Sentence

She is teaching her son Portuguese. the customs of the Portuguese
Recent Examples on the Web The Erasmus was once part of a five-vessel Dutch fleet with 500 sailors, but after years of skirmishes with the Spanish and Portuguese, plus rampant vitamin deficiencies, only a dozen men remain. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2024 As if on cue, a pedestrian walking down the sidewalk notices her, exclaims, rushes over for a hug, and encourages Ms. Chandler to keep practicing her Portuguese. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2024 Indeed, the small cafe and market was buzzy on a recent weekday afternoon, with conversation flowing in both English and Portuguese. Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024 Grand Reserve: Portuguese Grand Reserves must have a minimum ABV at least 1 percent higher than the minimum required for the region. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2024 As Brazilians sped by, an Indigenous teenager who barely spoke Portuguese gave birth to a son. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 Winners will be announced at the 20th Craig Noel Awards ceremony from 6 p.m to 10 p.m. Feb. 12 at the SES Portuguese Hall of San Diego, 2818 Avenida De Portugal, San Diego. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2024 With its 25,000 or so residents, Lamu Town lives on as a deep reservoir of Swahili culture, but reflects the influence of people from all over — Indians, Omanis, Persians, Portuguese. Jeffrey Gettleman, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2023 Its name is a quirk of translation: In Portuguese, limão is the word for lime, which means the drink is called limonada. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Portuguese.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese português, adjective & noun, from Portugal

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Portuguese was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near Portuguese

Cite this Entry

“Portuguese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Portuguese. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Portuguese

noun
Por·​tu·​guese ˈpōr-chə-ˌgēz How to pronounce Portuguese (audio) ˈpȯr- How to pronounce Portuguese (audio)
-ˌgēs;
ˌpōr-chə-ˈgēz,
ˌpȯr-,
-ˈgēs
plural Portuguese
1
: a person born or living in Portugal
2
: the language of Portugal and Brazil
Portuguese adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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