portfolio

See also: Portfolio, portfólió, and portfólio

English

Etymology

From Italian portafoglio; cognate with French portefeuille (“folder, wallet”), from Latin portāre (“to carry”) and folium (“sheet”). The meaning "collection of responsibilities" came by extension in the 1930s.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɔːtˈfəʊ.liˌəʊ/, /-əʊl.jəʊ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /poɹtˈfoʊ.liˌoʊ/, /-oʊl.joʊ/

  • Audio (Texas):

    (file)

• (Australian) IPA^(key): /poːtˈfəʉ.liˌəʉ/, [poːtˈfɐʉ.liˌɐʉ], [-ɐʉl.jɐʉ]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /poːtˈfɐʉ.liˌɐʉ/, /-ɐʉl.jɐʉ/
• Rhymes: -əʊljəʊ

Noun

portfolio (plural portfolios)

1. A case for carrying papers, drawings, photographs, maps and other flat documents. [from 1720s]
   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Introduction”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 142:

     He opened an embroidered portfolio; and, from its perfumed depths, took out a letter, which he began to read aloud.

3. (by extension) The collection of such documents, especially the works of an artist or photographer, or more generally, a presentation of an individual's work samples and skills (a career portfolio).
4. (politics) The post and the responsibilities of a cabinet minister or other head of a government department. [from 1930s]

   Synonym: ministry

   • 2025 October 29, Mohamad Bazzi, “Jared Kushner is back – and so are big questions about his financial ties”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     His [Jared Kushner's] portfolio extended to foreign policy, as he brokered a new North American trade agreement and negotiated peace deals in the Middle East.

6. (finance) The group of investments and other assets held by an investor. [from 1950s]
   • 2011 December 2, Patrick Collinson, “Terry Smith's investments have other fund managers on the ropes”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Behind his [Terry Smith's] success is a simple formula: buy shares in companies that make basic necessities – from toilet paper to nappies, baby food to pet food, soap to shampoo. […] It's why his portfolio of just 20 companies includes names such as Unilever […] and Imperial Tobacco (Lambert & Butler, Gauloises, John Player Special, Rizla).

   • 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:

     Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. […] Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today.

7. (business) A collection of assets; (figurative) any collection of things considered as investments or assets, (rarely) also liabilities.

   I would like to introduce you to our portfolio of services.

   • 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 378:

     In the past, thoughts were too real to be kept like a cultural portfolio of stocks and bonds. But now we have mental assets.

   • 1989 February 10, Stephen Fry et al., “Christening”, in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Season 1, Episode 5:

     Father: Darling, and no disrespect to you, Vicar, but what I'm thinking is this. How about a mixed portfolio, whereby we spread him through Judaism, Islam, Hindu, and so on, maintaining a firm base in the Church of England?
     Mother: It does sound safer.
     Father: Exactly.

   • 2024 August 18, Jörg Michael Dostal, “Left Conservatism: Sahra Wagenknecht's Challenge to the German Party System”, in The Political Quarterly, volume 95, number 4, →DOI, page 644 of 634–644:

     Promising to protect the welfare state while adding further obligations to its portfolio has become customary for SPD and Greens.

8. A range of products.

   product portfolio

Derived terms

• e-portfolio
• foreign portfolio investment
• minister without portfolio
• multiportfolio
• nonportfolio
• padfolio
• portfolio career
• portfolio frontier
• portfolio worker
• subportfolio
• webfolio

Descendants

• → Dutch: portfolio
• → Portuguese: portfólio, portfolio (unadapted form, chiefly Portugal), portefólio (Portugal), portifólio (Brazil, misspelling)

Translations

case for carrying papers etc.

• Bulgarian: папка (bg) f (papka)
• Catalan: cartera (ca) f
• Finnish: salkku (fi)
• French: portefeuille (fr) m
• German: Mappe (de) f, (dated) Portefeuille (de) n
• Greek: χαρτοφύλακας (el) m (chartofýlakas)
• Hebrew: פורטפוליו (he) (portfolio), תיק (he) m (tik)
• Hungarian: aktatáska (hu), irattáska (hu), mappa (hu)
• Italian: cartella (it)
• Japanese: ポートフォリオ (ja) (pōtoforio)
• Korean: 포트폴리오 (poteupollio)
• Latin: scrīnium n
• Malawi Lomwe: molw
• Māori: kōpaki, pūkete
• Norwegian: portefølje (no) m
• Polish: portfolio (pl) n, teka (pl) f, aktówka (pl) f
• Portuguese: porta-fólio (pt) m, portfólio (pt) m, portefólio m
• Romanian: mapă (ro) f
• Russian: портфе́ль (ru) m (portfélʹ)
• Slovene: portfelj m
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: mapa f

• Spanish: portafolio (es) m, portafolios (es) m pl, cartapacio (es) m
• Turkish: portföy (tr), cilbent (tr)

  Ottoman Turkish: جلبند (cilbend)

collection of assets

• Catalan: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: portfolio (fi)
• French: portefeuille (fr) m, portfolio (fr) m (art, fashion)
• German: Portfolio (de) n
• Greek: δείγμα εργασίας n (deígma ergasías)
• Hebrew: פורטפוליו (he) (portfolio), תיק עבודות (he) (tik avodot)
• Hungarian: portfólió (hu)
• Indonesian: portofolio (id)
• Italian: portfolio (it) m
• Japanese: 作品集 (sakuhinshū)
• Norwegian: portefølje (no) m
• Portuguese: portfólio (pt) m, buque (pt)
• Romanian: portofoliu (ro) n
• Russian: портфо́лио (ru) n (portfólio)
• Slovene: listnica f
• Spanish: carpeta de trabajos f

post

• Bulgarian: портфейл m (portfejl)
• Catalan: cartera (ca) f
• Finnish: ministerinsalkku (fi)
• French: portefeuille (fr) m
• German: Geschäftsbereich (de) m, Ressort (de) n, (dated) Portefeuille (de) n
• Greek: χαρτοφυλάκιο (el) n (chartofylákio), υπουργείο (el) n (ypourgeío)
• Hebrew: תיק (he) (tik)
• Hungarian: tárca (hu)
• Italian: portafoglio (it)
• Norwegian: portefølje (no) m
• Polish: teka (pl) f
• Portuguese: pasta (pt) f, portefólio m
• Russian: (министе́рский) портфе́ль m ((ministérskij) portfélʹ)
• Spanish: cartera (es) f

investments

• Bulgarian: портфейл m (portfejl), депо (bg) n (depo)
• Catalan: cartera (ca) f
• Danish: portefølje c
• Finnish: arvopaperisalkku (fi), osakesalkku (fi)
• French: portefeuille (fr) m
• German: Portfolio (de) n
• Greek: χαρτοφυλάκιο (el) n (chartofylákio)
• Italian: portafoglio (it)
• Japanese: ポートフォリオ (ja) (pōtoforio)
• Kazakh: қоржын (qorjyn)
• Korean: 포트폴리오 (poteupollio)
• Norwegian: portefølje (no) m
• Polish: portfel (pl) m
• Portuguese: portfólio (pt) m, porta-fólio (pt) m, portefólio m, carteira de investimentos f
• Russian: портфе́ль це́нных бума́г m (portfélʹ cénnyx bumág), портфе́льные инвести́ции pl (portfélʹnyje investícii)
• Slovene: portfelj m
• Spanish: cartera de inversiones f
• Swedish: portfölj (sv) c
• Turkish: portföy (tr)

See also

• blad
• curriculum vitae
• repertoire

Further reading

• portfolio on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English portfolio, from Italian portafoglio. Doublet of portefeuille.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpɔrtˈfoː.li.oː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: port‧fo‧lio
• Rhymes: -oːlioː

Noun

portfolio m or n (plural portfolio's, diminutive portfoliootje n)

1. portfolio (case for carrying papers, drawings, photographs, maps and other flat documents)
2. portfolio (collection of such documents, especially the works of an artist or photographer)
3. portfolio (group of investments and other assets held by an investor)

Synonyms

• portefeuille

Derived terms

• e-portfolio
• leesportfolio
• portfolio-opdracht
• portfoliomanager
• productportfolio

References

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “portfolio”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from English portfolio, ultimately from Italian portafoglio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈportfolio/, [ˈpo̞r.t̪fo̞ˌlio̞]
• Rhymes: -io
• Syllabification^(key): port‧fo‧li‧o
• Hyphenation^(key): port‧fo‧lio

Noun

portfolio

1. portfolio (representative collection of the works of an artist, designer, or similar, especially as used to present to potential clients)

Declension

Inflection of portfolio (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)
nominative		portfolio	portfoliot
genitive		portfolion	portfolioiden portfolioitten
partitive		portfoliota	portfolioita
illative		portfolioon	portfolioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		portfolio	portfoliot
accusative	nom.	portfolio	portfoliot
	gen.	portfolion
genitive		portfolion	portfolioiden portfolioitten
partitive		portfoliota	portfolioita
inessive		portfoliossa	portfolioissa
elative		portfoliosta	portfolioista
illative		portfolioon	portfolioihin
adessive		portfoliolla	portfolioilla
ablative		portfoliolta	portfolioilta
allative		portfoliolle	portfolioille
essive		portfoliona	portfolioina
translative		portfolioksi	portfolioiksi
abessive		portfoliotta	portfolioitta
instructive		—	portfolioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of portfolio (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative portfolioni portfolioni accusative nom. portfolioni portfolioni gen. portfolioni genitive portfolioni portfolioideni portfolioitteni partitive portfoliotani portfolioitani inessive portfoliossani portfolioissani elative portfoliostani portfolioistani illative portfoliooni portfolioihini adessive portfoliollani portfolioillani ablative portfolioltani portfolioiltani allative portfoliolleni portfolioilleni essive portfolionani portfolioinani translative portfoliokseni portfolioikseni abessive portfoliottani portfolioittani instructive — — comitative — portfolioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative portfoliosi portfoliosi accusative nom. portfoliosi portfoliosi gen. portfoliosi genitive portfoliosi portfolioidesi portfolioittesi partitive portfoliotasi portfolioitasi inessive portfoliossasi portfolioissasi elative portfoliostasi portfolioistasi illative portfolioosi portfolioihisi adessive portfoliollasi portfolioillasi ablative portfolioltasi portfolioiltasi allative portfoliollesi portfolioillesi essive portfolionasi portfolioinasi translative portfolioksesi portfolioiksesi abessive portfoliottasi portfolioittasi instructive — — comitative — portfolioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative portfoliomme portfoliomme accusative nom. portfoliomme portfoliomme gen. portfoliomme genitive portfoliomme portfolioidemme portfolioittemme partitive portfoliotamme portfolioitamme inessive portfoliossamme portfolioissamme elative portfoliostamme portfolioistamme illative portfolioomme portfolioihimme adessive portfoliollamme portfolioillamme ablative portfolioltamme portfolioiltamme allative portfoliollemme portfolioillemme essive portfolionamme portfolioinamme translative portfolioksemme portfolioiksemme abessive portfoliottamme portfolioittamme instructive — — comitative — portfolioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative portfolionne portfolionne accusative nom. portfolionne portfolionne gen. portfolionne genitive portfolionne portfolioidenne portfolioittenne partitive portfoliotanne portfolioitanne inessive portfoliossanne portfolioissanne elative portfoliostanne portfolioistanne illative portfolioonne portfolioihinne adessive portfoliollanne portfolioillanne ablative portfolioltanne portfolioiltanne allative portfoliollenne portfolioillenne essive portfolionanne portfolioinanne translative portfolioksenne portfolioiksenne abessive portfoliottanne portfolioittanne instructive — — comitative — portfolioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative portfolionsa portfolionsa accusative nom. portfolionsa portfolionsa gen. portfolionsa genitive portfolionsa portfolioidensa portfolioittensa partitive portfoliotaan portfoliotansa portfolioitaan portfolioitansa inessive portfoliossaan portfoliossansa portfolioissaan portfolioissansa elative portfoliostaan portfoliostansa portfolioistaan portfolioistansa illative portfolioonsa portfolioihinsa adessive portfoliollaan portfoliollansa portfolioillaan portfolioillansa ablative portfolioltaan portfolioltansa portfolioiltaan portfolioiltansa allative portfoliolleen portfoliollensa portfolioilleen portfolioillensa essive portfolionaan portfolionansa portfolioinaan portfolioinansa translative portfoliokseen portfolioksensa portfolioikseen portfolioiksensa abessive portfoliottaan portfoliottansa portfolioittaan portfolioittansa instructive — — comitative — portfolioineen portfolioinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• portfoliosijoitus

Further reading

• “portfolio”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

Doublet of portefeuille.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔʁt.fɔ.ljo/, /pɔʁt.fo.ljo/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -jo

Noun

portfolio m (plural portfolios)

1. portfolio

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English portfolio, from Italian portafoglio. Doublet of portfel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔrˈtfɔ.ljɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔljɔ
• Syllabification: por‧tfo‧lio

Noun

portfolio n (indeclinable)

1. portfolio (case for carrying papers, drawings, photographs, maps and other flat documents)

Further reading

• “portfolio”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[4] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “portfolio”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[5] (in Polish)