Portugal

American  

[pawr-chuh-guhl, pohr-, pawr-too-gahl] / ˈpɔr tʃə gəl, ˈpoʊr-, ˌpɔr tʊˈgɑl /

noun

1. a republic in SW Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula, W of Spain. (Including the Azores and the Madeira Islands) 35,414 sq. mi. (91,720 sq. km). Lisbon.

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Portugal British  

/ ˈpɔːtjʊɡəl /

noun

1. a republic in SW Europe, on the Atlantic: became an independent monarchy in 1139 and expelled the Moors in 1249 after more than four centuries of Muslim rule; became a republic in 1910; under the dictatorship of Salazar from 1932 until 1968, when he was succeeded by Dr Caetano, who was overthrown by a junta in 1974; constitutional government restored in 1976. Portugal is a member of the European Union. Official language: Portuguese. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Lisbon. Pop: 10 799 270 (2013 est). Area: 91 831 sq km (35 456 sq miles)

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Portugal Cultural  

1. Republic in southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is Lisbon.

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Discover More

Portugal has been independent since the twelfth century, except for sixty years of Spanish rule in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

Portugal has been a member of NATO since 1949.

Famous for its explorers in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portugal followed such exploration closely with colonization. By the middle of the sixteenth century, Portugal controlled a vast overseas empire, including Brazil.

Example Sentences

For some, Ronaldo nudged ahead when he helped Portugal lift the European Championship in 2016, but Messi has since guided Argentina to two Copa America titles and a World Cup.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Iran has dominated this crucial waterway except when in internal disarray or checked by an outside power, namely Portugal, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain and, after 1971, the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Now, thanks to a two-decade conservation initiative across southern Spain and parts of Portugal, there are an estimated 2,700 Iberian lynx in the wild, making it one of the world’s most miraculous comeback stories.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

France, Britain and Portugal have all recorded their hottest days ever for the month of May during the heatwave.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

Nico couldn’t think about Portugal without his arms hurting.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan