portfolios

IPA/ˌpɔːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/
KK[pɔrtfˈoliˌoz]IPA/ˌpɔːrtˈfoʊ.li.oʊ/

portfolios — noun

  • portfoliossingular
  • portfoliosesplural

1. A flat protective case with a folding cover, used for carrying sheets of paper,

1.nounB1
Definition

A flat protective case with a folding cover, used for carrying sheets of paper, drawings, or maps without bending or damaging them.

Example

The architect pulled a large map from her portfolio and spread it across the table.

collocation: leather portfolio / from [one's] portfolio

Nikhil bought a zippered portfolio to carry his sketches to the client meeting.

Common collocations
  • leather portfolio
  • zippered portfolio
  • drawing portfolio
  • carry a portfolio
  • pull out a portfolio
Synonyms
  • briefcase

    A briefcase is smaller and stiffer, usually used for business papers, not artwork.

  • folder

    A folder is simpler — typically just a folded piece of card, without a protective cover.

  • carrying case

    More general and less specific; can refer to cases for tools or electronics.

2. A selection of your best creative or professional work — such as drawings, photo

2.nounB1
Definition

A selection of your best creative or professional work — such as drawings, photographs, designs, or writing — organized to show employers, clients, or admissions committees.

Example

Sade updated her graphic design portfolio with three new branding projects this month.

collocation: [type] portfolio — graphic design portfolio

A digital portfolio on a tablet can display both still images and short video clips.

Common collocations
  • build a portfolio
  • submit a portfolio
  • design portfolio
  • photography portfolio
  • online portfolio
  • portfolio of work
Synonyms
  • body of work

    Emphasizes the full scope of a person's output over a career, not just a curated selection.

  • collection

    More general; does not imply the work was chosen for presentation to a specific audience.

  • showreel

    Specifically for video, animation, or film work; often in digital format.

Usage Note

Commonly used with a preceding descriptive noun or adjective indicating the field: a design portfolio, a photography portfolio, an online portfolio.

Common Mistakes

I showed my portfolio of artwork case.
I showed my portfolio of artwork.
'portfolio' already means the collection; adding 'case' is redundant unless you mean the physical container.

3. The complete range of stocks, bonds, funds, and other financial assets that an i

3.nounB2
Definition

The complete range of stocks, bonds, funds, and other financial assets that an individual, company, or fund owns, managed as part of an investment strategy.

Example

Aylin's investment portfolio includes shares in technology firms and government bonds.

collocation: investment portfolio includes [assets]

A diversified portfolio usually contains a healthy mix of stocks, bonds, and cash.

collocation: diversified portfolio

Common collocations
  • investment portfolio
  • stock portfolio
  • diversified portfolio
  • manage a portfolio
  • portfolio manager
  • build a portfolio
  • portfolio of assets
Synonyms
  • holdings

    Emphasizes what is currently owned and usually used in plural; more formal register.

  • investment mix

    Focuses on the proportion of different asset types rather than the whole collection.

  • securities

    Technical legal term for tradable financial instruments; narrower than portfolio.

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives describing risk or strategy: aggressive portfolio, conservative portfolio, balanced portfolio.

Common Mistakes

She bought a portfolio of Apple stock.
She bought shares of Apple stock and added them to her portfolio.
'portfolio' refers to the whole collection, not a single purchase.

4. The specific policy area or range of administrative responsibilities assigned to

4.nounB2
Definition

The specific policy area or range of administrative responsibilities assigned to a cabinet member or government minister.

Example

The foreign minister's portfolio covers trade negotiations and diplomatic relations.

pattern: [person]'s portfolio covers [responsibilities]

After the election, Andrew was given the portfolio of housing and urban development.

Common collocations
  • hold the portfolio of
  • take on a portfolio
  • hand over a portfolio
  • education portfolio
  • health portfolio
  • foreign affairs portfolio
Synonyms
  • brief

    Less formal and narrower; often refers to a specific task or policy area rather than a full ministerial role.

  • remit

    Focuses on the scope of authority; used in British English more broadly than just government.

  • department

    Refers to the organization itself, not the area of responsibility assigned to a specific minister.

Usage Note

In parliamentary systems, ministers are said to 'hold', 'take on', or 'hand over' a portfolio when cabinet positions change.

5. In the UK and some other parliamentary systems, a senior government official who

5.nounC1
Definition

In the UK and some other parliamentary systems, a senior government official who holds a ministerial rank and participates in cabinet discussions but does not run a specific government department.

Example

Théo served as a minister without portfolio, attending cabinet meetings but running no department.

fixed phrase: minister without portfolio

A minister without portfolio can focus on cross-departmental projects that no single ministry owns.

Common collocations
  • minister without portfolio
  • serve as minister without portfolio
  • appoint a minister without portfolio
Synonyms

Usage Note

This sense nearly always appears in the fixed phrase 'minister without portfolio'. The title 'Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster' in the UK often functions as a minister without portfolio.

Common Mistakes

He is a portfolio minister.
He is a minister without portfolio.
The common phrase is 'without portfolio', not 'portfolio minister'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

While all five words relate to what a person or organization owns financially, they differ in scope. A 'portfolio' is the complete collection of investments managed as a strategic whole — it implies active selection and balancing. 'Holdings' refers to whatever is currently owned, often listed individually (e.g., 'the fund's holdings include shares in ten companies'), without implying a deliberate combination. 'Assets' is the broadest term, covering anything of value — a house, a car, a savings account — not just financial instruments. 'Securities' is a legal term for tradable financial products such as stocks and bonds; it is narrower than 'portfolio' because it excludes cash and real assets. 'Fund' describes a pooled investment vehicle managed by a professional, such as a mutual fund or ETF, which itself contains a portfolio. For example, you would say 'Sade's investment portfolio includes several funds and individual stocks', where 'portfolio' describes her personal collection and 'funds' describes one type of asset inside it.

portfolio ↗holdingsassets ↗securities ↗fund ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • portfolio manager
  • portfolio company
  • portfolio value
  • portfolio review

Phrases

  • build a portfolio
  • diversify a portfolio
  • manage a portfolio
  • add to a portfolio

Prepositions

  • in a portfolio
  • into a portfolio
  • out of a portfolio
  • portfolio of

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Borrowed from Italian 'portafoglio', formed from 'portare' (to carry) and 'foglio' (sheet of paper or leaf). The word first appeared in English in the early 1700s for the physical case used to carry loose papers. By the 1800s, it had acquired the extended meaning of a collection of works (especially an artist's samples), and later the financial sense of a set of investments. The political sense — a minister's area of responsibility — developed in the 19th century, reflecting the idea of the minister 'carrying' a set of duties, much like carrying papers in a case.

First known use

1713

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1