portfolio

American  

[pawrt-foh-lee-oh, pohrt-] / pɔrtˈfoʊ liˌoʊ, poʊrt- /

noun

plural

portfolios

1. a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings, etc.

2. such a case for carrying documents of a government department.

3. the total holdings of the securities, commercial paper, etc., of a financial institution or private investor.

4. the office or post of a minister of state or member of a cabinet.

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portfolio British  

/ pɔːtˈfəʊlɪəʊ /

noun

1. a flat case, esp of leather, used for carrying maps, drawings, etc

2. the contents of such a case, such as drawings, paintings, or photographs, that demonstrate recent work

   an art student's portfolio

3. such a case used for carrying ministerial or state papers

4. the responsibilities or role of the head of a government department

   the portfolio for foreign affairs

5. a cabinet minister who is not responsible for any government department

6. the complete investments held by an individual investor or by a financial organization

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Etymology

Origin of portfolio

1715–25; < Italian portafoglio, equivalent to porta-, stem of portare to carry (< Latin portāre ) + foglio leaf, sheet (< Latin folium; foil ² )

Example Sentences

“While we believe market perception has driven elevated tender activity, underlying credit fundamentals across our portfolio have remained resilient.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

That was “not taken well by investors” concerned about fiscal creep, says James Lim, portfolio manager for Korea at Dalton Investments.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Cliffwater also recently sold an interest in a roughly $1 billion loan portfolio that it will continue to manage, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In January, for instance, Christopher Wood, Jefferies’s global head of equity strategy, removed a 10% bitcoin allocation from his model portfolio, citing quantum concerns.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

One scrolled newswires, another showed moment-to-moment movements inside their portfolio, the other three scrolled Danny’s conversations with maybe forty Wall Street brokers and fellow investors.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis