portal

¹ American  

[pawr-tl, pohr-] / ˈpɔr tl, ˈpoʊr- /

noun

1. a door, gate, or entrance, especially one of imposing appearance, as to a palace.

   Synonyms:

   threshold, entry, doorway, entranceway

2. an iron or steel bent for bracing a framed structure, having curved braces between the vertical members and a horizontal member at the top.

3. an entrance to a tunnel or mine.

4. Computers. a website that functions as an entry point to the internet, as by providing useful content and linking to various sites and features on the World Wide Web.

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portal ² American  

[pawr-tl, pohr-] / ˈpɔr tl, ˈpoʊr- /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to the transverse fissure of the liver.

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noun

1. portal vein.

portal British  

/ ˈpɔːtəl /

noun

1. an entrance, gateway, or doorway, esp one that is large and impressive

2. any entrance or access to a place

3. computing an internet site providing links to other sites

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adjective

1. anatomy

   1. of or relating to a portal vein

      hepatic portal system

   2. of or relating to a porta

portal Cultural  

1. A Web site that provides a gateway to other Web sites.

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Other Word Forms

• portaled adjective
• portalled adjective

Etymology

Origin of portal¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English portale, from Medieval Latin, noun use of neuter of portālis “of a gate.” See portal ²

Origin of portal²

First recorded in 1605–15, portal is from the Medieval Latin word portālis of a gate. See port ⁴, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Having already attempted to force those suffering in waiting rooms to create their own “patient portals,” Dr. Al-Hashimi goes on to advocate for an AI-supported system to aid the doctors with pesky paper work.

From Los Angeles Times

GoodRx is a web platform that aggregates drug discounts and provides coupons, while TrumpRx is a portal for drug savings on select drugs that uses GoodRx as a source of pricing info.

From Barron's

Use the tool, using data from property portal Zoopla, to see how the cost of privately rented homes has risen in your council area in England, Scotland and Wales.

From BBC

Compass’s “coming soon” and “private exclusive” listings will appear on Redfin, the brokerage and home listings portal purchased by Rocket in 2025.

From Barron's

There’s no retail portal to the exclusive Hollywood offices.

From Los Angeles Times