portfolio

noun

port·​fo·​lio pȯrt-ˈfō-lē-ˌō 

plural portfolios

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?

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 website 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

The other retail centers in the firm’s portfolio are 380 Towne Crossing in McKinney, Shops at Prosper Trail, Heath Town Center, Longview Towne Crossing and Midlothian Towne Crossing. —Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Mar. 2026

Founded by Thomas Edison, the American inventor of the electric lightbulb, the company was long an orphan in the GE corporate portfolio, kept more for sentimental reasons, some analysts believed, than commercial ones. —Andy Browne, semafor.com, 17 Mar. 2026

It was designed by Peter Samwell, whose portfolio also included the Park Plaza Hotel in Winter Park. —Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026

The group has its sights set on building a billion-dollar fashion and lifestyle multibrand portfolio. —Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian portafoglio, from portare to carry (from Latin) + foglio leaf, sheet, from Latin folium — more at blade

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for portfolio

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

portfolio

noun

port·​fo·​lio pōrt-ˈfō-lē-ˌō 

pȯrt-

plural portfolios

1

: a case for carrying papers or drawings

2

: the office and functions of a minister of state or member of a cabinet

3

: the stocks and bonds held by an investor or investment firm

4

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

5

: a selection of a student's work (as papers or art) collected over a period of time

Etymology

an altered form of earlier porto folio "portfolio," from Italian portafoglio (same meaning), from portare "to carry" and foglio "leaf, sheet"; portare from Latin portare "to carry" and foglio from Latin folium "leaf" — related to foliage, portable

Legal Definition

portfolio

noun

port·​fo·​lio pōrt-ˈfō-lē-ō 

: the securities held by an investor : the commercial paper held by a financial institution (as a bank)