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

In state elections this month an alliance led by above-ground communist parties was voted out in the southern state of Kerala, the first time in decades that Marxist political parties are not in power in any of India’s states or territories. —Dhruv Tikekar, CNN Money, 30 May 2026

While Hulst tried to fight his way through traffic, Serna was in unfamiliar territory. —Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 May 2026

In the 1960s, the antiheroine — who sometimes leans hard into villain territory — was brought to life in the live-action world by Newmar on the Batman TV series opposite Adam West, who played the titular crime fighter. —Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Surely, the federation wanted to avoid this kind of news right before a home World Cup, even if this kind of discourse for a manager with stature comes with the territory. —Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 29 May 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