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.
The four-story house was built into a hillside and featured concrete walls, gabled tile roofs, balustrade terraces, arched portico and a chimney with six flues, the city of Capitola wrote in an application seeking to include the building on the National Register of Historic Places. Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025 Popular viewing locations include the portico of the City-County Building, and the corner of Grant Street and Boulevard of the Allies. Ryan Deto, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025 Published on April 22, 2025 By Wendy Bowman Photo : Brian Kitts A blue front door is tucked under a portico entryway. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2025 Villa Aalto, with its modest rooms, charming front portico, traditional hip roofline, and wooden beams, speaks to the easy sincerity of his early designs: vernacular elements at odds with the Modernist dogmas of the day. Michael Snyder, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 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 23 May. 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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