Portugal

[ pawr-chuh-guhl, pohr-; Portuguese pawr-too-gahl ]

noun

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). Capital: Lisbon.

Words Nearby Portugal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Portugal in a sentence

The report offers no explicit policy recommendations but its most striking example of a successful drug policy is in Portugal.
Britain Admits Anti-Drug Laws Are Useless | Nico Hines | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In October 2013, the Portuguese police reopened the case in Portugal, paving the way for further investigations by Scotland Yard.
Does a Perv Know Maddie McCann’s Fate? | Barbie Latza Nadeau | October 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
MacDonald is believed to have been living in a campground in Portugal when McCann disappeared.
Does a Perv Know Maddie McCann’s Fate? | Barbie Latza Nadeau | October 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In 1991, Muehl was convicted of having sex with minors, served seven years, then moved with a core of followers to Faro, Portugal.
The Life and Art of Radical Provocateur—and Commune Leader—Otto Muehl | Anthony Haden-Guest | September 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The EU needs another Greece or Portugal dragging down the euro like the EU needs another bureaucrat in Brussels.
Up to a Point: A Free Scotland Would Be a Hilarious Disaster | P. J. O’Rourke | September 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

When I was at Portugal, there was held at that time the court of justice of the Inquisition.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801) | Daniel Defoe
Anthony, titular king of Portugal, died at Paris, a fugitive from the victorious arms of the Spaniards.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Junot already held Portugal; it seemed as if it needed but a vigorous movement to oust the Bourbons from Madrid.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
French evacuated Almeida, after destroying everything, and the next day they abandoned Portugal entirely.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Turning the position, the French swept down on Portugal, while the English hurriedly fell back before them.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for Portugal

Portugal

/ (ˈpɔːtjʊɡəl) /

noun

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)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Portugal

Portugal

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.

Notes for Portugal

Portugal has been a member of NATO since 1949.

Notes for Portugal

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.

Notes for Portugal

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

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