of or relating to territory or land.
of, pertaining to, associated with, or restricted to a particular territory or district; local.
pertaining or belonging to the territory of a state or ruler.
(of an animal) characterized by territoriality; defending an area against intruders, especially of the same species.
Often Territorial of or relating to a territory of the United States.
Military. Territorial, organized on a local basis for home defense.
the British Territorial Army.
Territorial, a member of the British Territorial Army.
a soldier in a territorial army.
of or relating to a territory or territories
restricted to or owned by a particular territory
the Indian territorial waters
local or regional
pertaining to a territorial army, providing a reserve of trained men for use in emergency
First recorded in 1615–25; from Late Latin territōriāli; see territory, -al 1
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."
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The combined group would preserve the respective brands, historical headquarters and territorial roots of the two banks and adopt a governance structure based on balance and representativeness, BPM said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
The small Caucasus country is still haunted by Azerbaijan's 2023 military takeover of Karabakh, which ended decades of territorial conflict and prompted the exodus of the enclave's 100,000-strong ethnic Armenian population.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
In another statement Monday, Macron said he commended President Trump during a phone call Sunday night for his “commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
"The Dutch side's actions seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime and air security, seriously breached international law and the basic norms of international relations," the statement said.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
“I found it in my jewelry box and liked the look of it, you insufferably territorial man.”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
