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

Explanation

A portal is a large and imposing gate or doorway. You’re likely to find a portal in a castle, in a cathedral, or even on an internet site. Portal can be used to describe other types of doorways, both literal and metaphorical. For example, portal can refer to a web page that provides access to other sites on the web. If you enjoy reading science fiction or fantasy, you may be familiar with the use of the word portal to mean “a doorway to another world.” The wardrobe in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe functions as a portal to the land of Narnia.

Example Sentences

They’re also, undeniably, a portal into the adult world of the internet, which can pose all kinds of dangers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

In a court filing this week, the CBP estimated its overall development of a claim portal for importers to seek refunds was 95% complete.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

As bleak, frightening and all-around life-ruining as the internet has proven itself to be, there was a time not long ago when the World Wide Web felt like a portal, not a black hole.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

But based on BBC Verify's access to the portal it appears to extend across most of the Middle East, including Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and Gaza.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Sometimes kids used MSN Messenger to connect, but mostly we used the tried-and-true, the one and only, the magical portal that was AOL Instant Messenger.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi