Portuguese

American

[pawr-chuh-geez, -gees, pohr-, pawr-chuh-geez, -gees, pohr-] / ˌpɔr tʃəˈgiz, -ˈgis, ˌpoʊr-, ˈpɔr tʃəˌgiz, -ˌgis, ˈpoʊr- /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Portugal, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Portugal.
a Romance language spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and a few countries of Africa. Pg, Pg.

Portuguese British

/ ˌpɔːtjʊˈɡiːz /

noun

the official language of Portugal, its overseas territories, and Brazil: the native language of approximately 110 million people. It belongs to the Romance group of the Indo-European family and is derived from the Galician dialect of Vulgar Latin
a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Portugal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Portugal, its inhabitants, or their language

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Portuguese

plural

Etymology

Origin of Portuguese

1580–90; < Portuguese português, Spanish portugués; see Portugal, -ese

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.

See Examples For:

Portuguese

Early Portuguese colonizers described those forests as forming a dense tangle, or "maranhão."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

The property has been reported to feature a Portuguese Colonial-style villa with a large party room, along with watchtowers and 12 cannons that give the retreat a decidedly fortresslike appearance.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

The second-tier side earned qualification for the Europa League by inflicting a shock defeat on Sporting CP to win the Portuguese Cup final in May.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Carlos Irving Quintana, a slim 14-year-old with purple hair, wins cheers of approval with his enactment of the iconic "Siuuu" leap of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo when he scores a goal.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Portuguese marveled at how efficiently the Kingdom of Kongo collected taxes and assembled its court and ministries.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023