territory

noun

ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
plural territories
1
a
: a geographic area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
b
: an administrative subdivision of a country
c
: a part of the U.S. not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature
d
: a geographic area (such as a colonial possession) dependent on an external government but having some degree of autonomy
2
a
: an indeterminate geographic area
b
: a field of knowledge or interest
3
a
: an assigned area
especially : one in which a sales representative or distributor operates
b
: an area often including a nesting or denning site and a variable foraging range that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals
Phrases
go with the territory or come with the territory
: to be a natural or unavoidable aspect or accompaniment of a particular situation, position, or field
criticism goes with the territory in this job

Examples of territory in a Sentence

Those mountains are in Mexican territory. Guam is a U.S. territory. The birds are busy establishing territories and building nests. Male cats spray to mark territory. The goal of the expedition is to map unexplored territory.
Recent Examples on the Web Reddit and its eclectic bazaar of online communities is ready to plumb high-stakes territory — the stock market. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 The plans unveiled at Series Mania will see Max become available in 25 countries in Europe and 65 countries and territories worldwide, following its launch in the U.S. in May 2023, as well as in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier this year. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 Crafted with the help of Spanish chef and restaurateur José Andrés, Rahm’s menu is a love letter to the Basque territories in the north of his country. Jack Bantock, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Following its first European rollouts, WBD plans additional launches in key Asia Pacific territories in late 2024 and further territories in 2025. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 Two of Hamas’s key demands include allowing residents to return to northern Gaza, which Israel has cut off from the rest of the territory, and linking any pause in fighting to a lasting cease-fire and end to the war. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 My company reassigned me to a different sales territory than my original region. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 That’s not surprising given that Spotify is available in 184 countries and territories and has a major presence in large markets — such as India, Mexico, Brazil, Spain and France — with strong local, non-English music scenes. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 The territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate. Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'territory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin territorium, literally, land around a town, from terra land — more at terrace entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of territory was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near territory

Cite this Entry

“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

territory

noun
ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
plural territories
1
a
: a geographic area belonging to or under the control of a government
b
: a part of the U.S. not included within any state but having a separate governing body
2
a
: an assigned area
a sales representative's territory
b
: an area that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals

Legal Definition

territory

noun
ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
plural territories
1
: a geographical area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
2
: a political subdivision of a country
3
: a part of the U.S. (as Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands) not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature compare trust territory
territorial adjective
territorially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on territory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!