territory

noun

ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
plural territories
Synonyms of territorynext
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

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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 The strong March helped the first quarter into positive territory too. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024 The consulate building, which includes the ambassador’s residence and is located next to the Iranian Embassy, is considered sovereign Iranian territory. —Helen Regan, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024 The reports said that U.S. intelligence officers who had served in Kyiv in 2014 − as Ukraine and the U.S. moved closer together and Russia first began to seize territory in eastern Ukraine − appear to have been tracked and targeted in subsequent postings. —Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024 The airline’s foray into dating app territory will match willing passengers and seat them together to see if sparks fly at 30,000 feet. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024 The unit specializes in recruiting Russian fighters and running agents on Russian territory to carry out sabotage missions. —José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024 Article 23 refers to the part of Hong Kong's post-handover constitution, the Basic Law, that requires the territory to enact national security legislation. —Michele Kelemen, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024 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

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

Phrases Containing territory

Dictionary Entries Near territory

Territorian

territory

territory wool

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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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
ˌter-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əl How to pronounce territory (audio)
adjective
territorially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on territory

Nglish: Translation of territory for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of territory for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about territory

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