portfolio

[ pawrt-foh-lee-oh, pohrt- ]

noun

, plural port·fo·li·os.

1. a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings, etc.
2. such a case for carrying documents of a government department.
3. the total holdings of the securities, commercial paper, etc., of a financial institution or private investor.
4. the office or post of a minister of state or member of a cabinet.

portfolio

/ pɔːtˈfəʊlɪəʊ /

noun

1. a flat case, esp of leather, used for carrying maps, drawings, etc
2. the contents of such a case, such as drawings, paintings, or photographs, that demonstrate recent work

   an art student's portfolio

3. such a case used for carrying ministerial or state papers
4. the responsibilities or role of the head of a government department

   the portfolio for foreign affairs

5. Minister without portfolio
   a cabinet minister who is not responsible for any government department
6. the complete investments held by an individual investor or by a financial organization

Word History and Origins

Origin of portfolio¹

1715–25; < Italian portafoglio, equivalent to porta-, stem of portare to carry (< Latin portāre ) + foglio leaf, sheet (< Latin folium; foil ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of portfolio¹

C18: from Italian portafoglio, from portāre to carry + foglio leaf, paper, from Latin folium leaf

Example Sentences

Now he’s back with an even broader portfolio, as Trump’s “immigration tsar”.

From BBC

“It remains to be seen how broad Mr. Miller’s portfolio will be, but it is expected to be vast and to far exceed what the eventual title will convey,” the publication reported.

From Salon

Decades later, she’s still trying to diversify her portfolio.

From Los Angeles Times

And we all remember where we were when Musk bought X, then known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022, expanding his corporate portfolio beyond Tesla and SpaceX.

From Salon

The only way to mitigate risk is to do what economists call the “only free lunch in finance” — to diversify your retirement portfolio.

From Salon