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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.

DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, then flipped the dwelling and sold it to businesswoman Victoria Jackson, who then offloaded it to the Gredes.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

"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

After claiming the biggest payday in women's tennis history, Elena Rybakina refused to pose for a photo with WTA Tour chief executive Portia Archer.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

In the living room, Hamilton hung a large-scale artwork by Texas-based painter Jason Adkins for General Public, a company developed by Portia de Rossi that licenses and 3D-prints artworks.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2025

Portia was warming her supper in the stove.

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