portfolio
portfolio — noun
1. a flat folder-style case for taking papers, maps, drawings, or similar items fro
a flat folder-style case for taking papers, maps, drawings, or similar items from place to place
Nina slid the poster into a black portfolio before the train ride.
collocation: put drawings in a portfolio
The architect carried site plans across town in a waterproof portfolio.
At the airport, Mr. Chen tucked a map portfolio under his arm.
portfolio under your arm
Please keep the maps flat inside the brown portfolio.
During the art fair, Eva kept spare sketches in a leather portfolio.
- leather portfolio
- waterproof portfolio
- carry a portfolio
- put drawings in a portfolio
- folder
a broader word that often suggests a smaller or less protective holder
- case
very general and not specific to flat papers or drawings
- document case
close in meaning, but less common and less tied to art or design work
Grammar Patterns
carry a portfolio
put drawings in a portfolio
portfolio under your arm
Usage Note
Usually refers to a flat container for large papers, especially drawings or maps. Distinguish from sense 2, where portfolio means the work itself rather than the case that holds it.
Common Mistakes
2. a group of pieces made or written by someone, kept together to show skill, style
a group of pieces made or written by someone, kept together to show skill, style, or progress
Aya showed her design portfolio to three interviewers at the studio.
show a portfolio to an employer
Each student keeps a portfolio of essays from the whole year.
portfolio of + work
The travel magazine asked Leo to email his photo portfolio first.
After six months, Mia's portfolio included posters, menus, and app screens.
A strong portfolio helped Rosa win design jobs in Kaohsiung.
- design portfolio
- photo portfolio
- online portfolio
- build a portfolio
- portfolio of essays
- collection
the broadest choice, but it does not by itself suggest evaluation or display
- body of work
stresses everything someone has produced, not the selected set shown to others
- file
a general set of stored materials, with less focus on showing skill
- dossier
more formal and often used for records or evidence rather than creative samples
Grammar Patterns
build a portfolio
portfolio of + work
show a portfolio to + employer
Usage Note
Common with design, art, photography, writing, and student assessment. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is the collection of work, even when it is stored online rather than in a physical case.
Common Mistakes
3. all the investments held by one person or institution, such as shares, bonds, fu
all the investments held by one person or institution, such as shares, bonds, funds, or property
The bank moved part of its bond portfolio into cleaner energy funds.
bond portfolio / investment mix
Judy checks her retirement portfolio only once a month.
After buying the smaller chain, the company sold two hotels from its property portfolio.
property portfolio
A young investor built a simple portfolio with one stock fund and one bond fund.
The charity keeps a balanced portfolio so school and hospital projects stay funded.
- investment portfolio
- bond portfolio
- property portfolio
- balanced portfolio
- diversify a portfolio
- holdings
a financial term for the individual assets inside a portfolio
- investments
a broader everyday word that can refer to one asset or to the full set
- assets
broader still; can include property, cash, and other valuables beyond formal investments
Grammar Patterns
investment portfolio
diversify a portfolio
portfolio of shares and bonds
Usage Note
Often modified by investment, retirement, property, stock, or bond. Unlike sense 2, the items here are financial assets, not examples of skill or progress.
Common Mistakes
4. the government department or policy area that a minister is officially in charge
the government department or policy area that a minister is officially in charge of
After the election, health became Senator Wu's cabinet portfolio.
cabinet portfolio = minister's responsibility
No one expected Minister Garcia to add trade to her cabinet portfolio that year.
add something to a portfolio
The prime minister split the education portfolio between two junior ministers.
Minister Patel lost the finance portfolio after the party changed leaders.
During coalition talks, reporters asked which cabinet portfolio Ms. Lin wanted next.
- cabinet portfolio
- health portfolio
- finance portfolio
- hold a portfolio
- lose a portfolio
- brief
especially British in politics, often used for a minister's responsibilities
- post
often means the job itself rather than the subject area handled in that job
- responsibilities
a broad everyday word with much less political flavor
Grammar Patterns
hold the health portfolio
be given a portfolio
add trade to someone's portfolio
Usage Note
Common in political reporting, especially after verbs like hold, get, lose, and add. Distinguish from sense 5, which appears mainly inside the fixed title minister without portfolio.
Common Mistakes
5. in British English, in the fixed title minister without portfolio, the word desc
in British English, in the fixed title minister without portfolio, the word describes a cabinet role for a minister who helps make government decisions but does not head a department
The prime minister named Owen minister without portfolio during the crisis.
fixed phrase: minister without portfolio
For six months, Maria served as a minister without portfolio in London.
News reports said the new minister without portfolio would help with party talks.
At Tuesday's cabinet meeting, the minister without portfolio spoke for small businesses.
role without a department
- minister without portfolio
Grammar Patterns
minister without portfolio
Usage Note
Mostly limited to the fixed British political title minister without portfolio. Unlike sense 4, it describes the absence of a department rather than the department or duties themselves.
Common Mistakes
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
For noun sense 2, portfolio is used when someone gathers work in order to show ability, style, or growth. Collection is broader and can refer to any group of items, without the idea of presenting yourself to a teacher, client, or employer. Body of work often means everything a person has produced, not the selected pieces shown in one place. File is a general storage word and may be digital or paper, with no strong idea of display. Dossier is more formal and usually suggests records, evidence, or background information. A design student sends a portfolio to a studio, keeps rough drafts in a file, and may later talk about her whole body of work.
Etymology
Portfolio came into English from Italian portafoglio, built from words meaning 'carry' and 'sheet' or 'leaf'. It first named a flat case for loose papers. From the papers carried for official business, English later developed the political sense, and after that the word widened again to collections of work and sets of investments.