Meaning & use
portals
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“portals” is a form of “portal”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Large, often impressive entrances or gateways to a building or place.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'portal'. Use 'a portal' for one and 'portals' for more than one.
Patterns
- the portals of something
- enter through the portals
Visitors passed through the tall stone portals of the old cathedral.
The palace has three grand portals facing the square.
nouncountablecomputing
Websites or apps that act as a main point of entry to many services or sources of information.
Grammar: Common in computing and business contexts; usually appears in the plural when talking about several sites.
Patterns
- an internet portal
- a news portal
- portals for something
Many people start their day by checking news portals.
The company built online portals where customers can pay bills and track orders.
nouncountablefigurative
In stories and games, magical doorways that carry people to another place or world.
Grammar: Often used in fantasy and science fiction; frequently followed by 'to' plus a place.
Patterns
- a portal to another world
- open a portal
The heroes found portals that led to a hidden kingdom.
In the game, you step into glowing portals to travel between levels.
Word forms
| singular | portal |
|---|
Common combinations
- internet portal
- She found the form on the government's internet portal.
- news portal
- The news portal posted the story within minutes.
- portal to another world
- The book describes a portal to another world behind the waterfall.
- stone portals
- We walked through the stone portals into the courtyard.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gateway
- Similar for physical entrances, but 'gateway' is more common for a literal opening in a wall or fence.
- entrance
- Focuses on the act or place of entering; 'portal' often sounds grander or more literary.
Opposites
Word family
- portal noun
- The singular form: one entrance, website, or magical doorway.
Commonly confused: portals or portals'?
portals vs portals'
'Portals' is the plural; 'portal's' with an apostrophe shows possession, as in 'the portal's frame'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'portals' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Portals' is a plural noun, so it fits after 'two large' in sentence B. The other options use it as a verb or with the wrong grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “portals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.