territorial

1 of 2

adjective

ter·​ri·​to·​ri·​al ˌter-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

1

a

: of or relating to a territory

territorial government

b

: of or relating to or organized chiefly for home defense

c

: of or relating to private property

2

a

: exhibiting or involving territoriality

territorial birds

b

: of or relating to an assigned or preempted area

territorial commanders

3

a

: nearby, local

b

: serving outlying areas : regional

territorially

ˌter-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

territorial

2 of 2

noun

: a member of a territorial military unit

Examples of territorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Creating a fake wasp nest can keep these pests, who are very territorial, away from your house. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, The Spruce, 29 June 2026

No country can have diplomatic ties with both Beijing and Taipei because of China's territorial claim over the island. — ABC News, 24 June 2026

Noun

Arranging their first meeting indoors could make your older dog territorial, and scare your puppy off. — Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025

But there’s nothing stopping the surfer from hanging out in the parking lot up the cliff, an asphalt jungle with its own territorial, dog-eat-dog ecosystem. — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing territorial

• inter-territorial
• territorial court
• territorial dispute
• territorial waters

Rhymes for territorial

• arboreal
• armorial
• authorial
• factorial
• manorial
• memorial
• pictorial
• sartorial
• sectorial
• tutorial
• vectorial
• ambassadorial

Kids Definition

territorial

adjective

ter·​ri·​to·​ri·​al

ˌter-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əl, 

-ˈtȯr-

1

: of or relating to a territory

territorial claims

2

: organized chiefly for territorial defense

a territorial army

3

: showing or involving territoriality

territorial birds

territorial noun

territorially

-ē-ə-lē

adverb