territory
noun
ter·ri·to·ry
ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 
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
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
He's faced and beaten top contenders, including Francesco Ricchi, Mike Richman, and Danny Christie, and now looks to further cement his legacy in hostile territory.
—
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
This came after Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on the territory in early March.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 June 2025
El hombre de los aguacates Vega Paredes came to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in 2021 in a yola, a flimsy open boat made of wood, packed with other Dominicans traversing the dangerous 80-mile stretch of ocean between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
—Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 7 June 2025
Voters approved the creation of Starbase on May 3, incorporating territory around SpaceX's remote rocket factory and launch site near the US-Mexico border.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for territory
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Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
This came after Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on the territory in early March.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 June 2025
El hombre de los aguacates Vega Paredes came to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in 2021 in a yola, a flimsy open boat made of wood, packed with other Dominicans traversing the dangerous 80-mile stretch of ocean between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
—Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 7 June 2025
Voters approved the creation of Starbase on May 3, incorporating territory around SpaceX's remote rocket factory and launch site near the US-Mexico border.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for territory
Cite this Entry
“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
territory
noun
ter·ri·to·ry
ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē
-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
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
territorially
adverb
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