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
: a member of a territorial military unit
Examples of territorial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The vote faced immense opposition from the existing proslavery territorial government and the U.S. Senate.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
After an initial round of expansion following Russia’s wider invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian ground forces—the army, air assault forces, marine corps, national guard and territorials—could deploy a hundred brigades, each with around 2,000 people.
—David Axe, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for territorial
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Adjective
The scale and scope of this year's drills reflect the island's growing apprehension, but also its desire to apply lessons learned from recent conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, for example, about asymmetric weapons systems and territorial defense.
—John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The vote faced immense opposition from the existing proslavery territorial government and the U.S. Senate.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Noun
Arranging their first meeting indoors could make your older dog territorial, and scare your puppy off.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
After an initial round of expansion following Russia’s wider invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian ground forces—the army, air assault forces, marine corps, national guard and territorials—could deploy a hundred brigades, each with around 2,000 people.
—David Axe, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for territorial
Cite this Entry
“Territorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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