territoriality
noun
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty
ˌter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē-ˈa-lə-tē 
1
: territorial status
2
a
: persistent attachment to a specific territory
b
: the pattern of behavior associated with the defense of a territory
Examples of territoriality in a Sentence
a scientific study of territoriality in bears
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because territoriality is a major stressor among cats.
—
Dr. Patty Khuly, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
Beware territoriality Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at strategy firm Culture Partners, was working with a department in a large company that operated out of an office with about 60 people.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 26 June 2023
Some dogs may be aggressive due to fear or insecurity, while others may act out of excitement or territoriality.
—Amber, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2022
There are a number of things that can trigger aggression in dogs, including fear, territoriality, possessiveness, and hunger.
—Amber, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2022
The idea is to shed the welfare-state dependency that comes with territoriality.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 2 Feb. 2023
Chimpanzee warfare is of particular interest because of the possibility that both humans and chimps inherited an instinct for aggressive territoriality from their joint ancestor who lived some five million years ago.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2010
Either way, maybe this more subtle type of territoriality could help explain how early humans handled their own turf.
—Leslie Nemo, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2020
Those records were essential to end any territoriality dispute between Denmark and America.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2022
Dr. Patty Khuly, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
Beware territoriality Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at strategy firm Culture Partners, was working with a department in a large company that operated out of an office with about 60 people.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 26 June 2023
Some dogs may be aggressive due to fear or insecurity, while others may act out of excitement or territoriality.
—Amber, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2022
There are a number of things that can trigger aggression in dogs, including fear, territoriality, possessiveness, and hunger.
—Amber, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2022
The idea is to shed the welfare-state dependency that comes with territoriality.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 2 Feb. 2023
Chimpanzee warfare is of particular interest because of the possibility that both humans and chimps inherited an instinct for aggressive territoriality from their joint ancestor who lived some five million years ago.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2010
Either way, maybe this more subtle type of territoriality could help explain how early humans handled their own turf.
—Leslie Nemo, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2020
Those records were essential to end any territoriality dispute between Denmark and America.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'territoriality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near territoriality
Cite this Entry
“Territoriality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territoriality. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
territoriality
noun
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty
ˌter-ə-ˌtōr-ē-ˈal-ət-ē
-ˌtȯr-
: the pattern of behavior associated with the defense of an animal's territory
Legal Definition
territoriality
noun
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty
ˌter-ə-ˌtōr-ē-ˈa-lə-tē
1
: territorial status
2
: the jurisdiction of a sovereign state over matters within the limits of its territory especially as exercisable apart from the minimum contacts standard for personal jurisdiction over nonresidents
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