portal

1 of 2

noun

por·​tal ˈpȯr-tᵊl How to pronounce portal (audio)
plural portals
Synonyms of portalnext
1
: door, entrance
especially : a grand or imposing one
2
: the whole architectural composition surrounding and including the doorways and porches of a church
the cathedral's west portal
3
: the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel
construction of a new tunnel portal
4
: a communicating part or area of an organism
specifically : the point at which something (such as a pathogen) enters the body
5
: an online platform (such as a website) that provides access to services or information of a specific kind
a news portal
a payment portal
Patients can also use the portal to message their UVA Health providers, see lab results and medication history and see their upcoming appointments.—Donna Staton
The jobs portal is also a tool that will help bring qualified candidates to employers' job openings.—Paul Schott
The NCAA transfer portal is an online database meant to streamline the first step of an athlete's transfer process.—Victoria Moorwood

portal

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of or relating to the transverse fissure on the underside of the liver where most of the vessels enter
2
: of, relating to, or being a portal vein or a portal system
portal circulation

Synonyms of portal

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of portal in a Sentence

Noun a Web portal for baseball fans the main portal to the estate is an elaborate wrought iron gate on the side facing the road
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Some electronic tools, including the MyChart patient portal, are still unavailable, but are expected to be back online soon. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2026 Most schools use online portals where parents can track test scores and access grades, attendance records, assignments and disciplinary notices. — Rebecca L. Palmer, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 The portal came out of the Colorado Housing Consortium, a coalition launched in 2025 that brings together more than 120 people from state and local government, developers, lenders, philanthropies and nonprofits. — Solomon Greene, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026 The petition was launched on Canada's parliamentary petitions portal, where citizens and residents of Canada can set up petitions to parliament. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portal

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin portale city gate, porch, from neuter of portalis of a gate, from Latin porta gate — more at port

Adjective

New Latin porta transverse fissure of the liver, from Latin, gate

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of portal was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing portal

Rhymes for portal

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Browse Nearby Words

portail
portal
Portal
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Cite this Entry

“Portal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portal. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

portal

noun
por·​tal
ˈpōrt-ᵊl, 
ˈpȯrt-
1
: a large or imposing door or entrance
2
: a website serving as a guide or point of entry to the Internet
Etymology

Noun

Middle English portal "door, the structure around a door," from early French portal (same meaning), derived from Latin portalis (adjective) "of a gate," from porta "gate, passage" — related to port entry 2

Medical Definition

portal

1 of 2 noun
por·​tal ˈpȯrt-ᵊl How to pronounce portal (audio)
: a communicating part or area of an organism: as
a
: portal vein
b
: the point at which something enters the body
portals of infection

portal

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to the porta hepatis
2
: of, relating to, or being a portal vein or a portal system
portal blood
portal circulation

Biographical Definition

Portal

biographical name

Por·​tal ˈpȯr-tᵊl How to pronounce Portal (audio)
Charles Frederick Algernon 1893–1971 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford British air marshal

More from Merriam-Webster on portal

Nglish: Translation of portal for Spanish Speakers

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