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Portia

American  
[pawr-shuh, -shee-uh, pohr-] / ˈpɔr ʃə, -ʃi ə, ˈpoʊr- /

noun

  1. the heroine of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, who, in one scene, disguises herself as a lawyer.

  2. a woman lawyer.

  3. a female given name.


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.

"Two mothers ranked inside the WTA's Top 10 rankings for the first time is an incredible moment for tennis and for women's sport," said WTA chief executive Portia Archer.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

“When we decided to live here full time, we knew that Portia couldn’t live without her horses,” DeGeneres told the Wall Street Journal.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026

Portia Thorman, from SMA UK, believes it would be ''ethically wrong'' not to introduce screening throughout the UK.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

Their grandmother, Portia, told me years ago the key to success in the family: “Genes and greens.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

Portia stayed in the dining-room to watch the party.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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