plural portals
2
: the whole architectural composition surrounding and including the doorways and porches of a church
the cathedral's west portal
3
: the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel
construction of a new tunnel portal
4
: a communicating part or area of an organism
specifically
: the point at which something (such as a pathogen) enters the body
5
: an online platform (such as a website) that provides access to services or information of a specific kind
a news portal
a payment portal
Patients can also use the portal to message their UVA Health providers, see lab results and medication history and see their upcoming appointments.—
Donna Staton
Donna StatonThe jobs portal is also a tool that will help bring qualified candidates to employers' job openings.—Paul Schott
Paul SchottThe NCAA transfer portal is an online database meant to streamline the first step of an athlete's transfer process.—Victoria Moorwood
Victoria Moorwood1
: of or relating to the transverse fissure on the underside of the liver where most of the vessels enter
2
: of, relating to, or being a portal vein or a portal system
portal circulation
Examples of portal in a Sentence
Noun
a Web portal for baseball fans
the main portal to the estate is an elaborate wrought iron gate on the side facing the road
Recent Examples on the Web
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Just two years after losing a school-record 24 games in Juwan Howard’s final season, coach Dusty May took advantage of the transfer portal to build a deep and talented roster that has won 24 of 25 games for the first time in school history.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Situations such as the transfer portal, name, image and likeness (NIL), and revenue sharing were relatively new concepts when Frost last coached a college game in 2022.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
In the era of NIL and the transfer portal, Barnett stayed in Laramie for five years.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The Horns are going to score plenty of runs and hit for more power, and with the depth Schlossnagle has built through recruiting and the transfer portal, fans will have plenty to be excited about after last season’s SEC champions didn’t make it out of their own NCAA regional.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Just two years after losing a school-record 24 games in Juwan Howard’s final season, coach Dusty May took advantage of the transfer portal to build a deep and talented roster that has won 24 of 25 games for the first time in school history.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Situations such as the transfer portal, name, image and likeness (NIL), and revenue sharing were relatively new concepts when Frost last coached a college game in 2022.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
In the era of NIL and the transfer portal, Barnett stayed in Laramie for five years.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portal
Cite this Entry
“Portal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portal. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
portal
1 of 2 noun
por·tal
ˈpȯrt-ᵊl 
: a communicating part or area of an organism: as
a
b
: the point at which something enters the body
portals of infection
portal
2 of 2 adjective1
: of or relating to the porta hepatis
2
: of, relating to, or being a portal vein or a portal system
portal blood
portal circulation
Biographical Definition
Portal
biographical name
Por·tal
ˈpȯr-tᵊl
Charles Frederick Algernon 1893–1971 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford British air marshal
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