territorial dispute
noun
: a disagreement about who controls a particular territory
The two countries are in a territorial dispute.
Examples of territorial dispute in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the glancing references to Western Sahara’s decades-old territorial dispute, depicted here as a mere unexpected obstacle in the characters’ quest for a transformative experience, belie a deeper history that is not simply a logistical inconvenience.
—
Álex Maroño Porto, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
The territorial dispute over the islands remains one of the Gulf’s most persistent flashpoints.
—Sam Metz, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
The territorial dispute over the islands remains one of the Gulf’s most persistent flashpoints.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Formed in Pakistan, the Sunni Muslim militant group is predominant in the Kashmir region, which has been involved in an often-bloody territorial dispute since the partition of India and Pakistan as the British left the subcontinent in 1947 after 300 years of colonial rule.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The outlet reported that nine people, including a baby, were killed on the beach last month during instances of violence which local police attributed to the ongoing territorial dispute between the groups.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
That was more than a decade after China had wielded the materials as a weapon against Tokyo during a 2010 territorial dispute.
—Josh Xiao Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
That was more than a decade after China had wielded the materials as a weapon against Tokyo during a 2010 territorial dispute.
—Alastair Gale, Bloomberg, 6 Jan. 2026
The territorial dispute dates back to a long history of kingdom rivalry.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
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Álex Maroño Porto, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
The territorial dispute over the islands remains one of the Gulf’s most persistent flashpoints.
—Sam Metz, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
The territorial dispute over the islands remains one of the Gulf’s most persistent flashpoints.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Formed in Pakistan, the Sunni Muslim militant group is predominant in the Kashmir region, which has been involved in an often-bloody territorial dispute since the partition of India and Pakistan as the British left the subcontinent in 1947 after 300 years of colonial rule.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The outlet reported that nine people, including a baby, were killed on the beach last month during instances of violence which local police attributed to the ongoing territorial dispute between the groups.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
That was more than a decade after China had wielded the materials as a weapon against Tokyo during a 2010 territorial dispute.
—Josh Xiao Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
That was more than a decade after China had wielded the materials as a weapon against Tokyo during a 2010 territorial dispute.
—Alastair Gale, Bloomberg, 6 Jan. 2026
The territorial dispute dates back to a long history of kingdom rivalry.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Territorial dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20dispute. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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