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• territory
  territory

  noun

  any tract of land; region or district.
• Territory
  Territory

  noun

  See Northern Territory

territory

American  

[ter-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈtɛr ɪˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

• territories
  plural

1. any tract of land; region or district.

2. the land and waters belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a state, sovereign, etc.

   Synonyms:

   sovereignty, dominion, domain

3. any separate tract of land belonging to a state.

4. (often initial capital letter)

   1. a region or district of the U.S. not admitted to the Union as a state but having its own legislature, with a governor and other officers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

   2. some similar district elsewhere, as in Canada and Australia.

5. a field or sphere of action, thought, etc.; domain or province of something.

6. the region or district assigned to a representative, agent, or the like, as for making sales.

7. the area that an animal defends against intruders, especially of the same species.

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territory ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛrɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. any tract of land; district

2. the geographical domain under the jurisdiction of a political unit, esp of a sovereign state

3. the district for which an agent, etc, is responsible

   a salesman's territory

4. an area inhabited and defended by an individual animal or a breeding group of animals

5. an area of knowledge

   science isn't my territory

6. (in football, hockey, etc) the area defended by a team

7. (often capital) a region of a country, esp of a federal state, that enjoys less autonomy and a lower status than most constituent parts of the state

8. (often capital) a protectorate or other dependency of a country

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Territory ² British  

/ ˈtɛrɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. See Northern Territory

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territory Scientific  

/ tĕr′ĭ-tôr′ē /

1. A geographic area occupied by a single animal, mating pair, or group. Animals usually defend their territory vigorously against intruders, especially of the same species, but the defense often takes the form of prominent, threatening displays rather than out-and-out fighting. Different animals mark off territory in different ways, as by leaving traces of their scent along the boundaries or, in the case of birds, modifying their calls to keep out intruders.

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territory Idioms  

1. see come with the territory; cover the field (territory).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subterritory
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• territories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of territory

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin territōrium “land around a town, district,” from terr(a) “land” + -i- -i- + -tōrium -tory ²

Explanation

A certain area that's owned or under the control of someone is called a territory. Countries defend their territories during wars and dogs mark their territory in the yard by peeing on it. Although the territory of a country includes its entire area, the noun can also specifically refer to an area governed by a country, but one that isn't a state or province. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, for example. The noun territory can also be used to describe any assigned region or area, such as a salesman whose territory is the Midwest — that means that he's in charge of business in there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

territory Territory territories

Since the full-scale invasion, even more territory has been subjected to the same.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

On Friday, for the first time in 13 years, Cox subscribers within the Dodgers’ broadcast territory will be able to watch the team on their local television home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Three weeks ago, more than 72,000 migrants poured into this tiny Spanish territory, overwhelming authorities and causing many residents to close up their shops and stay inside their homes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Israeli military is touted as the most powerful in the Middle East, striking targets deep into enemy territory.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Jarvis says, leaping his knight into enemy territory, forking Fleetwood’s king and queen.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Koalas have been officially listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory since 2022.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Northern Territory Police Force Commissioner Martin Dole said that 25 years was a "significant milestone" and that he hoped the release of new images could jog memories or lead to a tip-off.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

In the Dakota Territory, the future president regained his physical strength and emotional equilibrium, while he deepened his rapport with ordinary Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Bruce Young, 80, a descendant of homesteaders, sat on his porch overlooking Stoner Creek near the Territory 1889 site, and shook his head as a mule deer wandered past.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Once he regained control of the sugar island, he could use the Louisiana Territory to feed and supply all his sugar plan-tations in the Caribbean, and reap the rewards in white gold.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

Experts have cited a flurry of obstacles, including voting for soldiers, for millions of Ukrainian refugees and people from occupied territories, as well as disinformation threats from Russia.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

To counter the growing threat across Fae territories, Prythian’s fractured Night Court must overcome internal rifts and recent betrayals to restore former alliances.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

"States and territories are advised to review" the Trump administration's recommendations on "immunization requirements for contexts such as school enrollment and attendance," the order states.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Then there are the overseas territories, which require France to post immigration officers across 12 time zones, including France’s longest border, the jungled 450 miles between French Guyana and Brazil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

All of the children wore elaborate costumes representing the various kingdoms of the eastern territories.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

Related Words

• area
• colony
• country
• district
• enclave
• field
• land
• nation
• neighborhood
• province
• sector
• state
• street
• terrain
• zone