extraterritoriality

American  

[ek-struh-ter-i-tawr-ee-al-i-tee] / ˈɛk strəˌtɛr ɪˌtɔr iˈæl ɪ ti /

Also exterritoriality

noun

1. immunity from the jurisdiction of a nation, granted to foreign diplomatic officials, foreign warships, etc.

2. the applicability or exercise of a sovereign's laws outside its territory.

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extraterritoriality British  

/ ˌɛkstrəˌtɛrɪˌtɔːrɪˈælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the privilege granted to some aliens, esp diplomats, of being exempt from the jurisdiction of the state in which they reside

2. the right or privilege of a state to exercise authority in certain circumstances beyond the limits of its territory

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Etymology

Origin of extraterritoriality

First recorded in 1830–40; extra- + territoriality

Example Sentences

Soon nearly all the industrialized nations had been granted concessions, enclaves within port cities such as Tianjin and Shanghai, where they exercised the rights of extraterritoriality.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

“This case thus represents a valid domestic application of the PLCAA, and the presumption against extraterritoriality does not apply.”

From Washington Times • Sep. 30, 2022

Some U.N. officials bristled at the idea that city officials could infringe upon the U.N.'s carefully crafted extraterritoriality status.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2021

For some people, it’s an extraterritoriality case that extends the lines of U.S. laws into other countries.

From Scientific American • Mar. 1, 2018

Under no circumstances can the representatives of this Government be permitted, under the ill-defined fiction of extraterritoriality, to interrupt the administration of criminal justice in the countries to which they are accredited.

From A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Volume 8, part 2: Grover Cleveland by Cleveland, Grover