Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large, flat case for carrying documents, drawings, or maps: A portable, often leather, container designed to hold loose papers, artwork, or other flat materials.
   • A collection of creative work: A set of samples of an artist's, designer's, or other professional's work assembled to showcase their skills and style to potential clients or employers.
   • A collection of financial investments: The complete set of financial assets (such as stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents) owned by an individual or institution.
   • The duties and position of a government minister: The specific area of responsibility held by a minister in a government, often referred to as a "ministerial portfolio."

Usage Examples

• Case for documents:

  • The architect carried his blueprints in a leather portfolio.
  • She opened her portfolio to present the sketches to the committee.

• Collection of creative work:

  • A strong design portfolio is essential for getting a job in that field.
  • The photographer updated her online portfolio with new images.

• Collection of investments:

  • He manages a diverse investment portfolio for the pension fund.
  • The bank advised her to review her portfolio's performance annually.

• Government minister's responsibility:

  • The Prime Minister appointed her to the health portfolio.
  • He has held the foreign affairs portfolio for three years.

Advanced Usage

• "Portfolio career": A career pattern where a person works for multiple clients or employers simultaneously, rather than having a single full-time job, often utilizing a diverse set of skills.

  • After leaving the corporate world, she built a successful portfolio career as a consultant, writer, and lecturer.

• "Portfolio manager": A professional responsible for making investment decisions and managing a collection of securities for clients.

  • The portfolio manager recommended shifting assets into more stable bonds.

Variants and Related Words

• Portfolio theory (n): A financial theory concerning investment risk and return, advocating diversification.
  • Modern portfolio theory emphasizes the importance of asset allocation.

Synonyms

• Case (for the physical object):
• Collection (for creative work or investments):

Related Phrases

• "Minister without portfolio": A government minister who does not head a specific department but has other duties, often of a general or advisory nature.

  • He served as a minister without portfolio, advising the Prime Minister on strategic policy.

• "To balance a portfolio": To adjust the mix of investments to achieve a desired level of risk and return.

  • It's important to balance your portfolio between stocks and bonds.

Noun

1. the role of the head of a government department
   • he holds the portfolio for foreign affairs
2. a list of the financial assets held by an individual or a bank or other financial institution
   • they were disappointed by the poor returns on their stock portfolio
3. a set of pieces of creative work collected to be shown to potential customers or employers
   • the artist had put together a portfolio of his work
   • every actor has a portfolio of photographs
4. a large, flat, thin case for carrying loose papers or drawings or maps; usually leather
   • he remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio