Portsmouth

American  

[pawrts-muhth, pohrts-] / ˈpɔrts məθ, ˈpoʊrts- /

noun

1. a seaport in S Hampshire, in S England, on the English Channel: chief British naval station.

2. a seaport in SE Virginia: navy yard.

3. a seaport in SE New Hampshire: naval base; Russian-Japanese peace treaty 1905.

4. a city in S Ohio, on the Ohio River.

5. a town in SE Rhode Island.

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Portsmouth British  

/ ˈpɔːtsməθ /

noun

1. Informal name: Pompey.  a port in S England, in Portsmouth unitary authority, Hampshire, on the English Channel: Britain's chief naval base; university (1992). Pop: 187 056 (2001)

2. a unitary authority in S England, in Hampshire. Pop: 188 700 (2003 est). Area: 37 sq km (14 sq miles)

3. a port in SE Virginia, on the Elizabeth River: naval base; shipyards. Pop: 99 617 (2003 est)

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Example Sentences

Rachel Moore, 37, from Portsmouth in Hampshire has spent years in debilitating chronic pain due to a womb disease.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

An international team of scientists led by the University of Portsmouth has completed a large global study of these so-called surging glaciers.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2026

A French court has ruled to extradite Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, a former owner of English football club Portsmouth, to Lithuania, his lawyer said on Friday.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

He purchased Portsmouth, then in the second-tier Championship, in June 2011.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

New Hampshire was a largely white state, with some 360 free African Americans in Portsmouth.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis