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

Trump during the Monday call could be heard making false claims about multiple issues facing the nation and the New England region, including the southern border and territorial challenges in the lobster industry. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2024

He was accused by Russian prosecutors of accepting $1,000 a month to serve with a Ukrainian territorial defense force in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum starting in February 2022. —Ivana Saric, Axios, 7 Oct. 2024

Noun

The Ukrainian force is a mix of battalions from the army, the separate air assault forces and the territorials. —David Axe, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

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

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