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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands, which, although technically a territory of Great Britain, is generally considered a safe haven and has no data-retention laws. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 14 Jan. 2025 Last year, for the first time in their history, Iran and Israel exchanged missile and drone attacks on each other’s territory. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025 How the conflict in Ukraine and Gaza gets resolved will have an impact on China’s behaviour concerning claims over maritime and land territory. Vasuki Shastry, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 This innovative journey blends Earth's uncharted territories with the inspiring narrative of human curiosity and exploration. Gabe Castro-Root, Space.com, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for territory 

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 18 Jan. 2025.

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
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