territory

ter·ri·to·ry

noun \ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē\

plural -ries

Definition of TERRITORY

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 United States not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature

d : a geographic area (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

— 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

1. Those mountains are in Mexican territory.
2. Guam is a U.S. territory.
3. The birds are busy establishing territories and building nests.
4. Male cats spray to mark territory.
5. The goal of the expedition is to map unexplored territory.

Origin of TERRITORY

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to TERRITORY

Synonyms

habitat, niche, range, home

Related Words

element, environment, environs, haunt, locality, milieu, neighborhood, setting, surroundings

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

Rhymes with TERRITORY

a priori, allegory, amatory, auditory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dilatory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, oratory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, transitory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori