portal
1 Americannoun
-
a door, gate, or entrance, especially one of imposing appearance, as to a palace.
- Synonyms:
- threshold, entry, doorway, entranceway
-
an iron or steel bent for bracing a framed structure, having curved braces between the vertical members and a horizontal member at the top.
-
an entrance to a tunnel or mine.
-
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.
adjective
noun
noun
-
an entrance, gateway, or doorway, esp one that is large and impressive
-
any entrance or access to a place
-
computing an internet site providing links to other sites
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing portal
Words from "The Avengers"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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The Phantom Tollbooth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When the antibody plugs into the capillary’s transferrin receptor, a portal through the blood-brain barrier opens up.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Drawing on this online obsession, the plot of “Backrooms” follows Chiwetel Ejiofor, a furniture store owner who finds a secret portal that leads him to an endless rabbit hole of indistinguishable rooms.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
In Ms. Desai’s hands, painting is many things: a source of escape and self-expression for the artist; a portal to memories both true and merely desired; and a way to bear witness to larger histories.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Durham Police has opened a portal for people to report concerns.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
“I really love this whole theory. Especially since this magical portal makes me grow arms.”
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
