portico

noun

por·​ti·​co ˈpȯr-ti-ˌkō 

plural porticoes or porticos

: a colonnade or covered ambulatory especially in classical architecture and often at the entrance of a building

Illustration of portico

Examples of portico in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seven doors — four steel-and-glass sliders and three solid, handcrafted wood portals — open onto the courtyard’s circular portico, creating a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces, reminiscent of the early California Spanish missions. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025

Falke is partial to their selection of French portico clocks: 19th-century timepieces with classical columns and gilded pendulums. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2025

With its wrap-around, colonnaded portico, surely this Gilded Age structure left its latter-day beholders awestruck at first sight. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 May 2025

The main alteration was the restoration of the central portico to its original proportions, removing a canopy in the entrance hall that had been added in the 1990s, a move which allows for more light. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 24 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin porticus — more at porch

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for portico

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

Kids Definition

portico

noun

por·​ti·​co ˈpōrt-i-ˌkō 

ˈpȯrt-

plural porticoes or porticos

: a row of columns supporting a roof at the entrance of a building