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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

• territorials
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• territorials
  plural

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

See Examples For:

territorial Territorial territorials

“We Mexicans don’t want interference, interventionism, or violations of our territorial integrity,” she said before tens of thousands of supporters in Mexico City’s central Zócalo square late last month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The report by Special Rapporteur Ben Saul said since September last year there had been at least 68 US strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, outside US territorial waters, which killed more than 220 people.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the deal recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Oil prices rose in early European trading Tuesday as the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline and recent territorial gains by Houthi militants in Yemen kept concerns over Middle East crude supplies elevated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

While most solitary territorial species thus haven’t been domesticated, it’s not conversely the case that most herd species can be domesticated.

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

The former British Army reserve and Territorial Army officer has long been vocal on international affairs and security matters.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

"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

Territorial concessions and security guarantees have been at the forefront of unresolved issues for negotiators.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2026

"He kept in the background, but was suspicious because of that," said the 63-year-old who was in the Territorial Army and worked for the Royal Air Force.

From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026

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

Twenty-eight of the Skye territorials lived within sight of Portree harbour.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2014

At the tables handsome flying Johnnies, naval Jacks in full dress, guardsmen, territorials, and just plain civics sat making conversational love.

From Time Magazine Archive

Britain now has 827,000 men & women in uniform, counting the regular army, navy and air force, plus draftees and territorials.

From Time Magazine Archive

That would give Italy 600,000 men under arms, not counting territorials.

From Time Magazine Archive

The territorials who are in charge of them say that they were much more lively at first.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Related Words

• provincial