territory

noun

ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

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

see also:

go with the territory

Synonyms of territory

• habitat
• home

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 Arakan Army controls much of Rakhine after capturing territory from the military in recent years. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026

Every annual exam pushed my prescription further into negative territory, from just below zero into the ones, then twos, then threes. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

While many are known to migrate to the remote archipelago of Franz Josef Land in Russia’s northernmost territory, and the count of the apex predators on Svalbard varies throughout the year, around 300 remain there year-round. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Her new project, fata morgana, pushes her sound into new territory. — Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing territory

• come with the territory
• dangerous ground/territory
• enemy territory
• go with the territory
• poach on someone's territory/turf
• trust territory
• uncharted territory/waters
• union territory
• virgin territory

Rhymes for territory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• feudatory
• gustatory

Kids Definition

territory

noun

ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē 

-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 

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 

adjective

territorially adverb