Portugal

American  

[pawr-chuh-guhl, pohr-, pawr-too-gahl] / ˈpɔr tʃə gəl, ˈpoʊr-, ˌpɔr tʊˈgɑl /

noun

1. a republic in SW Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula, W of Spain. (Including the Azores and the Madeira Islands) 35,414 sq. mi. (91,720 sq. km). Lisbon.

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Portugal British  

/ ˈpɔːtjʊɡəl /

noun

1. a republic in SW Europe, on the Atlantic: became an independent monarchy in 1139 and expelled the Moors in 1249 after more than four centuries of Muslim rule; became a republic in 1910; under the dictatorship of Salazar from 1932 until 1968, when he was succeeded by Dr Caetano, who was overthrown by a junta in 1974; constitutional government restored in 1976. Portugal is a member of the European Union. Official language: Portuguese. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Lisbon. Pop: 10 799 270 (2013 est). Area: 91 831 sq km (35 456 sq miles)

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Portugal Cultural  

1. Republic in southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is Lisbon.

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Discover More

Portugal has been independent since the twelfth century, except for sixty years of Spanish rule in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

Portugal has been a member of NATO since 1949.

Famous for its explorers in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portugal followed such exploration closely with colonization. By the middle of the sixteenth century, Portugal controlled a vast overseas empire, including Brazil.

Example Sentences

But away from that Cymru connection, there is another reason for Wales fans to keep an eye on Portugal and perhaps hope they lift the trophy.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Or can Messi's great rival, the 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, defy father time by inspiring a talented Portugal team to its maiden World Cup win?

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Should Portugal and Argentina both win their groups, the bracket will have them on a collision course for the quarterfinals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Of the four teams, only Portugal will play all three group games in the U.S., traveling just 960 miles in the first round.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

In the long history of nations and seafaring, there has rarely been a country more powerful on the sea than was Portugal in the 1500s.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler