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
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 Israeli military says more than 400 rockets and hundreds of drones have been launched at Israeli territory since the conflict began.
—
Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 19 June 2025
From answering the clients’ confusion to leading them on unfamiliar financial territories, the Windfall Advisors team feels like a friend and a partner in their goal of financial security.
—Georgette Virgo, USA Today, 19 June 2025
In 2019, the mid-engine C8 Corvette staked a claim on supercar territory.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 19 June 2025
The Shandong was tracked operating within Japan's EEZ near the country's southernmost territory, Okinotorishima, which is located between the First and Second Island Chains.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for territory
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 19 June 2025
From answering the clients’ confusion to leading them on unfamiliar financial territories, the Windfall Advisors team feels like a friend and a partner in their goal of financial security.
—Georgette Virgo, USA Today, 19 June 2025
In 2019, the mid-engine C8 Corvette staked a claim on supercar territory.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 19 June 2025
The Shandong was tracked operating within Japan's EEZ near the country's southernmost territory, Okinotorishima, which is located between the First and Second Island Chains.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for territory
Cite this Entry
“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
territorially
adverb
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