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Glite Dictionary
💹 Financial assets 🖼️ A work collection 📁 A flat case 🏛️ Official duties
portfolio

portfolio

5 6.7
The duties a minister has for a government department
  • noun
  • /pɔrtˈfoʊlioʊ/
  • UK
translation icon : cartera
  • Previously, my portfolio involved the leadership and management of the World Bank's Livestock Portfolio.
  • a minister's portfolio

Examples

  • Malahoo Forte has responsibility for the foreign trade portfolio of the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

    Blog text (16)

  • Any formal committees in Florence's portfolio would also be made during this initial period.

    Blog text (19)

  • Washington has enough domestic and international responsibilities without adding to its portfolio the task of attempting to administer an unwieldy group of squabbling provinces.

    Academic text (1996)

  • By holding the education portfolio, she ensured that all schools received adequate funding.

  • After the election, he was assigned the portfolio for health services, which included overseeing hospitals.

  • The new minister will present his portfolio to the parliament next week, outlining his department's priorities.

Synonyms

ministry
vsportfolio
  • UK
147 3.7

A government department that deals with a specific public matter like health or finance

is the set of duties and responsibilities held by the department's leader

How Important

portfolio
  • UK
5 6.7
minor role
3 3.5

Surface Forms

portfolio singular
portfolios plural

Morphology

portfolio = port + folio (semi-transparent) = port + folio

The ministerial 'portfolio' is a metaphorical extension meaning a 'collection of responsibilities', which is inferable from the compound but more figurative.

Etymology

Portfolio was also used for the official papers a government minister carried about their job, so the word grew to mean the job or duties themselves. That's why holding a minister's portfolio means being responsible for that area.