portal

1 of 2

noun

por·tal ˈpȯr-tᵊl

Synonyms of portal next

: door, entrance

especially : a grand or imposing one

: the whole architectural composition surrounding and including the doorways and porches of a church

: the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel

: a communicating part or area of an organism

specifically : the point at which something (such as a pathogen) enters the body

: a website serving as a guide or point of entry to the World Wide Web and usually including a search engine or a collection of links to other sites arranged especially by topic

portal

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to the transverse fissure on the underside of the liver where most of the vessels enter

: of, relating to, or being a portal vein or a portal system

portal circulation

Example Sentences

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

Noun

Expect more names to enter the portal after the season, but one of the best available shooters right now is former Towson star Nicolas Timberlake. —

Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 20 Mar. 2023 Redshirt freshman forward Isaiah Barnes has entered the transfer portal, a program spokesman confirmed to the Free Press. —

Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2023 McKinney entered the transfer portal after the season, as did many Mustangs. —

Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 19 Mar. 2023 Both could enter the transfer portal or attempt to go to the NBA. —

Nubyjas Wilborn | , al, 19 Mar. 2023 Afterward, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Klubnik would be his starter in the Orange Bowl, and Uiagalelei quickly entered the transfer portal in search of a fresh start. —

Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 16 Mar. 2023 He's headed to Wofford (though Wofford Jay McAuley resigned from the program midway through the year, and Kimberly grad Jackson Paveletzke has entered the transfer portal after winning the SoCon Freshman of the Year). —

Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023 Jackson-Davis never entered the transfer portal across four seasons at Indiana. —

Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Mar. 2023 The first step was reloading on talent through the transfer portal. —

Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'portal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin portale city gate, porch, from neuter of portalis of a gate, from Latin porta gate — more at port

Adjective

New Latin porta transverse fissure of the liver, from Latin, gate

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of portal was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Portal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portal. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

portal

noun

por·tal

ˈpōrt-ᵊl,

ˈpȯrt-

: a large or imposing door or entrance

: a website serving as a guide or point of entry to the Internet

Etymology

Noun

Middle English portal "door, the structure around a door," from early French portal (same meaning), derived from Latin portalis (adjective) "of a gate," from porta "gate, passage" — related to port entry 2