portico

noun

por·​ti·​co ˈpȯr-ti-ˌkō How to pronounce portico (audio)
plural porticoes or porticos
: a colonnade or covered ambulatory especially in classical architecture and often at the entrance of a building

Illustration of portico

Illustration of portico

Examples of portico in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for portico

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin porticus — more at porch

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of portico was in 1607

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Cite this Entry

“Portico.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portico. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

portico

noun
por·​ti·​co ˈpōrt-i-ˌkō How to pronounce portico (audio)
ˈpȯrt-
plural porticoes or porticos
: a row of columns supporting a roof at the entrance of a building

More from Merriam-Webster on portico

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