Portuguese

noun

Por·​tu·​guese ˈpȯr-chə-ˌgēz 

-ˌgēs;

ˌpȯr-chə-ˈgēz,

-ˈgēs 

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

Botafogo has a win and a draw since the Club World Cup, and it’s been a solid start at the helm for Ancelotti, who has displayed incredible Portuguese in recent press conferences despite just picking up the language. —Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025

Billie has a big reaction when Stephens asks him questions in Portuguese. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025

On the 11-track album, Amarante sings both in his native language Portuguese and in English. —Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025

What languages does Pope Leo XIV speak? Leo XIV speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German, according to the National Catholic Reporter. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese português, adjective & noun, from Portugal

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Portuguese

• Portuguese man-of-war
• Portuguese water dog
• the Portuguese

Rhymes for Portuguese

• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes
• assamese

Kids Definition

Portuguese

noun

Por·​tu·​guese ˈpōr-chə-ˌgēz  ˈpȯr- 

-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