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• territorial
  territorial

  adjective

  of or relating to territory or land.
• Territorial
  Territorial

  noun

  a member of a territorial army, esp the British Army's Territorial and Volunteer Reserve

territorial

American  

[ter-i-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] / ˌtɛr ɪˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr- /

adjective

1. of or relating to territory or land.

2. of, pertaining to, associated with, or restricted to a particular territory or district; local.

3. pertaining or belonging to the territory of a state or ruler.

4. (of an animal) characterized by territoriality; defending an area against intruders, especially of the same species.

5. Often Territorial of or relating to a territory of the United States.

6. Military. Territorial, organized on a local basis for home defense.

   the British Territorial Army.

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noun

1. Territorial, a member of the British Territorial Army.

2. a soldier in a territorial army.

territorial ¹ British  

/ ˌtɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a territory or territories

2. restricted to or owned by a particular territory

   the Indian territorial waters

3. local or regional

4. pertaining to a territorial army, providing a reserve of trained men for use in emergency

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Territorial ² British  

/ ˌtɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. a member of a territorial army, esp the British Army's Territorial and Volunteer Reserve

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Other Word Forms

• nonterritorial
  adjective
• nonterritorially
  adverb
• preterritorial
  adjective
• quasi-territorial
  adjective
• quasi-territorially
  adverb
• subterritorial
  adjective
• territorially
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of territorial

First recorded in 1615–25; from Late Latin territōriāli; see territory, -al ¹

Explanation

If your dog barks whenever someone walks through your yard, it might be because she's territorial, or inclined to protect her territory from trespassers. A person — or an animal — who guards or defends the area she considers to belong to her is territorial. You can also use the adjective to describe anything relating to the territory itself. For example, territorial boundaries are invisible lines that mark the division between one country, or territory, and another. The Latin root, territorium, "land around a town," comes from terra, "earth or land."

Example Sentences

"There are numerous facilities that generate environmental impacts in a vulnerable area," Caroline Stamm, an associate professor at the Institute of Urban and Territorial Studies at the Catholic University of Santiago, told AFP.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

"This is the red line that must not be crossed", Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji told a press conference late on Sunday.

From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025

However, in 1939, with the country on the brink of war, Donnie joined the Territorial Army and was called up to fight.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025

Territorial policy minister Ángel Víctor Torres said it was still unclear how many people were missing.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2024

Territorial behavior similarly combines with a fierce disposition and a slow growth rate to banish rhinos from the farmyard.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• provincial