What does "portugal" mean?
A Portuguese person.
Portugal
/ˈpɔːt͡ʃəɡəl/ name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Portuguese person.
- Grammar: portugal is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: iberian nation, lower house, portuguese republic, portuguese state.
- Usage evidence: By chance I met my ex-girlfriend in Portugal.
How to use "portugal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "portugal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "portugal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "portugal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "portugal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "portugal" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "iberian nation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "portugal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Portuguese person. archaic
"Some became Christians, from whose faith and race, even at this day (for it is an hundred yeares since) few Portugalls assure themselves; although custome and length of time be much more forcible counsellors unto such mutations than any other compulsion."
Proper Noun
- 1 A country in Southern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. Official name: Portuguese Republic. Capital and largest city: Lisbon.
"A distinction is usually made between Old Portuguese (português antigo, português arcaico), referring to the period from the earliest texts to 1540, Classical Portuguese (1540-1850), and Modern Portuguese (1850 to the present). There is sometimes a further subdivision of the Old Portuguese period into a Galician-Portuguese period (origins to 1350), during which the linguistic and cultural unit of Galicia and Portugal remained strong, and the Old Portuguese period proper (1350-1540)."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"By chance I met my ex-girlfriend in Portugal."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "portugal"?
Common synonyms include: iberian nation, lower house, portuguese republic, portuguese state, senate, upper house.
How do you use "portugal" in a sentence?
By chance I met my ex-girlfriend in Portugal.
How do you pronounce "portugal"?
Pronounced /ˈpɔːt͡ʃəɡəl/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese Portugal, from Latin Portucale < Portus Cale (former name of what is now the city of Vila Nova de Gaia), from portus + Callus, which is disputed: * From the name of the Gallaeci, a Celtic tribe of Iberia. * From Latin calidus (“warm”). * From Ancient Greek Καλλίς (Kallís, “Beautiful”), referring to the Douro valley; see καλός (kalós, “beautiful”). * An Iberian pronunciation of Ancient Greek Γαῖα (Gaîa, “goddess of the Earth”).