territory

noun

ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
plural territories
1
a
: a geographic area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
b
: an administrative subdivision of a country
c
: a part of the U.S. not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature
d
: a geographic area (such as a colonial possession) dependent on an external government but having some degree of autonomy
2
a
: an indeterminate geographic area
b
: a field of knowledge or interest
3
a
: an assigned area
especially : one in which a sales representative or distributor operates
b
: an area often including a nesting or denning site and a variable foraging range that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals
Phrases
go with the territory or come with the territory
: to be a natural or unavoidable aspect or accompaniment of a particular situation, position, or field
criticism goes with the territory in this job

Examples of territory in a Sentence

Those mountains are in Mexican territory. Guam is a U.S. territory. The birds are busy establishing territories and building nests. Male cats spray to mark territory. The goal of the expedition is to map unexplored territory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Israeli military says more than 400 rockets and hundreds of drones have been launched at Israeli territory since the conflict began. Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 19 June 2025 From answering the clients’ confusion to leading them on unfamiliar financial territories, the Windfall Advisors team feels like a friend and a partner in their goal of financial security. Georgette Virgo, USA Today, 19 June 2025 In 2019, the mid-engine C8 Corvette staked a claim on supercar territory. Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 19 June 2025 The Shandong was tracked operating within Japan's EEZ near the country's southernmost territory, Okinotorishima, which is located between the First and Second Island Chains. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for territory

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin territorium, literally, land around a town, from terra land — more at terrace entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of territory was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

territory

noun
ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
plural territories
1
a
: a geographic area belonging to or under the control of a government
b
: a part of the U.S. not included within any state but having a separate governing body
2
a
: an assigned area
a sales representative's territory
b
: an area that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals

Legal Definition

territory

noun
ter·​ri·​to·​ry ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce territory (audio)
plural territories
1
: a geographical area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
2
: a political subdivision of a country
3
: a part of the U.S. (as Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands) not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature compare trust territory
territorial adjective
territorially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on territory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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