Portuguese

noun

Por·​tu·​guese ˈpȯr-chə-ˌgēz How to pronounce Portuguese (audio)
-ˌgēs;
ˌpȯr-chə-ˈgēz,
-ˈgēs How to pronounce Portuguese (audio)
plural Portuguese
1
a
: a native or inhabitant of Portugal
b
: one who is of Portuguese descent
2
: the Romance language of Portugal and Brazil
Portuguese adjective

Examples of Portuguese in a Sentence

She is teaching her son Portuguese. the customs of the Portuguese
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.
At the time of the incident, there were 21 total people on board the tourist flight, eight of whom have since been confirmed dead, Mello said in an X post, which was originally penned in Portuguese. Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 June 2025 One of those communities is Portuguese Bend, which is still experiencing significant landslide movement in many areas, as much as several inches a week, according to data from this spring. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025 Read More: The Burning of Nottoway Plantation From 1630 to 1654, the Dutch invaded and occupied parts of Portuguese Pernambuco, including the lands near Palmares, which withstood withering attacks from the Dutch and Portuguese. Time, 17 June 2025 At launch, Messages will support English (US, UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified). Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Portuguese

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese português, adjective & noun, from Portugal

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Portuguese was in 1534

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portuguese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Portuguese. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

Portuguese

noun
Por·​tu·​guese ˈpōr-chə-ˌgēz How to pronounce Portuguese (audio) ˈpȯr- How to pronounce Portuguese (audio)
-ˌgēs;
ˌpōr-chə-ˈgēz,
ˌpȯr-,
-ˈgēs
plural Portuguese
1
: a person born or living in Portugal
2
: the language of Portugal and Brazil
Portuguese adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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