portfolio

American  

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

noun

• portfolios
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• portfolios
  plural

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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; see foil ²)

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Explanation

A portfolio is a large, flat briefcase used to hold papers and other loose materials, like maps or artwork. A portfolio is usually used to transport important documents, like examples of your graphic design work if you’re an artist. The noun portfolio has its roots in the similarly-sounding Latin portafoglio “a case for carrying loose papers.” Notice, within that word, two other words — there’s porta, meaning “carry,” and foglio, meaning “sheet, leaf.” In English, think portable folio, or papers that can be carried. Also, portfolio can refer to the duties of a government official or the collection of investments held by a financial company.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

portfolio portfolios

And if you dig a little further, you can cut your portfolio risk and boost returns while still participating in the AI trend.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

Its profitable sectors included commodities, arbitrage and portfolio hedges related to credit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Elections will create winners and losers in individual industries, but I’d rather own businesses capable of prospering across political cycles than build a portfolio around predicting Washington.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 1, 2026

Separately on Friday, LyondellBasell said it agreed to sell a refinery site in Houston to Valero Energy for $320.5 million, as part of ongoing efforts to focus its portfolio on core assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Under my arm is my CSA portfolio of broken blobs and bowls.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Solaka oversees portfolios for individuals who often have concentrated bets in individual stocks, including the tech giants that have powered markets in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Bond and stock portfolios have been filled to the brim with AI exposure over the past year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Meanwhile once the company’s shares are listed, they quickly will find their way into the retirement portfolios of millions of middle-class American voters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Instead, higher yields have been a game-changer for some of Baird’s clients and their portfolios.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Most bought this insurance on subprime mortgages not as an outright bet against them but as a hedge against their implicit bet on them—their portfolios of U.S. real estate– related stocks or bonds.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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