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

Community journalism does not belong in a hedge fund’s portfolio. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

Under the new alliance, advertisers can gain access to commercial inventory tied to Red Seat’s portfolio of audio and video podcasts. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 July 2026

Albert Chu, portfolio manager for natural resources at Man Group, said crop yields could fall by 5%-12% in affected regions, while staples such as rice could decline by 2%-8% because of warmer conditions, driving prices higher. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 20 July 2026

Beyond the direct payout, this triumph, coupled with their 2024 European Championship win, dramatically enhances the RFEF's commercial portfolio. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 20 July 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)