portfolio

noun

port·fo·lio | \ pȯrt-ˈfō-lē-ˌō

plural portfolios

Definition of portfolio

1 : a hinged cover or flexible case for carrying loose papers, pictures, or pamphlets

2 [ from the use of such a case to carry documents of state ] : the office and functions of a minister of state or member of a cabinet

3 : the securities held by an investor : the commercial paper held by a financial house (such as a bank)

4 : a set of pictures (such as drawings or photographs) usually bound in book form or loose in a folder

5 : a selection of a student's work (such as papers and tests) compiled over a period of time and used for assessing performance or progress

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about portfolio

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Did You Know?

Portfolio is partly based on the Latin folium, meaning "leaf, sheet". A portfolio usually represents a portable showcase of your talents. Today actual portfolios are used less than they used to be by artists, since most commercial artists have a Web site dedicated to showing off their art. But portfolio in its other common meaning is extremely common. Not so long ago, a broker would keep each of his or her clients' investments in a separate notebook or portfolio. Today the investment portfolio, like an artist's portfolio, usually takes the form of a Web page, even though everyone still uses the same old word.

Examples of portfolio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a time when investors should seek resilience in their portfolios. — Jason Zweig, WSJ, "What Yogi Berra Would Have Said About This Bull Market," 14 June 2019 For more information about working for BRG Apartments or about living in one of the communities in their portfolio, visit www.brgapartments.com. — Jessica Levy, Cincinnati.com, "BRG Apartments creates quality communities, strives to be a good neighbor," 7 June 2019 The firms shared the same tax identification number, government patent, technical staff and resume of projects in their portfolio. — miamiherald, "Haiti president accused of embezzlement scheme in government audit of Venezuela aid money," 4 June 2019 Jeff's private space company, Blue Origin, has its base in Texas, and and that estate happens to be the largest in his portfolio. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Has An Insane Real Estate Portfolio," 12 Jan. 2019 The primary goal of diversification is to control the amount of risk in your portfolio. — Michael J. Francis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "401(k) Adviser: Let strategy, not fear of emulating Wile E. Coyote, be your guide," 22 June 2018 And with this pick in their portfolio, plus Smith and Markelle Fultz, the Sixers are in much better position to put together a competitive offer should the opportunity to acquire a veteran star present itself. — David Murphy, Philly.com, "Sixers smart to make NBA draft trade, build portfolio in more than one way | David Murphy," 21 June 2018 In recent years, Kardashian has diversified her business portfolio to include KKW Beauty (a range of color cosmetics), KKW Fragrances, Kids Supply (children's clothing line), and an app for mobile devices. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Just Released $90 Sunglasses and They’re Good," 5 Apr. 2019 The biggest challenge has been fundraising — and the female founders in our portfolio have found the same thing. — Diana Tsui, The Cut, "The Venture Capitalist Funding Female-Led Companies," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'portfolio.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.