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; territory, -al ¹

Example Sentences

He urged Lebanon and Israel to use the Unifil mechanism for dialogue, saying "the bottom line is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Fieldwork and logistics were supported by multiple organizations in Nunavut, with permits granted by territorial authorities and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

He denied that Iran was involved in the Russian invasion, saying that it supported Ukraine's territorial integrity.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

Also, CNN reported that 38 crew members were rescued after a suspected Iranian attack set two foreign tankers ablaze in Iraqi territorial waters, citing the head of Iraq’s ports company.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

It was the territorial line between where the right hand and the left hand traveled, between the treble and the bass clefs.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• provincial