A portfolio is a collection of your work that shows what you can do. Artists keep portfolios filled with their best drawings, paintings, and designs to show gallery owners or art schools. Writers compile portfolios of their stories and essays. Photographers gather their finest images. A portfolio demonstrates your skills and growth over time.

Originally, portfolios were leather cases that artists used to transport their work safely. Today, many portfolios exist online, though some people still keep physical binders or folders.

In finance, a portfolio means something different: it's the collection of investments someone owns, like stocks, bonds, or real estate. An investor might have a diverse portfolio containing many different types of investments, similar to how a balanced meal contains different food groups. Just as you wouldn't want to eat only cookies, investors usually avoid putting all their money in one place.

The word can also describe someone's range of responsibilities. A government official might have a portfolio covering education policy, meaning that's their area of authority and expertise. When you build a portfolio of any kind, whether it's artwork or investments, you're assembling pieces that together tell a story about your abilities, interests, or resources.