territoriality

[ ter-i-tawr-ee-al-i-tee, -tohr- ]

noun
  1. territorial quality, condition, or status.

  2. the behavior of an animal in defining and defending its territory.

  1. attachment to or protection of a territory or domain.

Origin of territoriality

1
First recorded in 1890–95; territorial + -ity

Other words from territoriality

  • non·ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby territoriality

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use territoriality in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for territoriality

territoriality

/ (ˌtɛrɪˌtɔːrɪˈælɪtɪ) /


noun
  1. the state or rank of being a territory

  2. the behaviour shown by an animal when establishing and defending its territory

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for territoriality

territoriality

[ tĕr′ĭ-tôr′ē-ălĭ-tē ]


  1. A behavior pattern in animals consisting of the occupation and defense of a territory.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.