any tract of land; district the geographical domain under the jurisdiction of a political unit, esp of a sovereign state the district for which an agent, etc is responsible an area inhabited and defended by an individual animal or a breeding group of animals an area of knowledge (in football, hockey, etc) the area defended by a team - (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 - (often capital)
a protectorate or other dependency of a country
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
ter•ri•to•ry /ˈtɛrɪˌtɔri/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -ries.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- [uncountable] an area of land, esp. with regard to its geographical features;
terrain:mountainous territory. - Governmentthe land and waters belonging to or under the control of a state, etc.: [uncountable]A country's embassy in a foreign country is considered its own territory.[countable]a few territories that were once its colonies.
- Government[countable* usually Territory]
- a region of the U.S. not yet a state but having its own legislature and an appointed governor.
- Governmenta similar district elsewhere, as in Canada.
- a field or area of knowledge, etc.:[uncountable]This was familiar territory to readers of Tolstoy's novels.
- [countable] the region assigned (by a company, etc.) to a representative, etc., as for making sales.
- Animal Behaviorthe area that an animal defends against intruders, esp. of the same kind: [uncountable]a cat establishing territory as its own.[countable]Animals intruding on others' territories are quickly chased away.
ter•ri•to•ry
(ter′i tôr′ē, -tōr′ē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ries.
- any tract of land;
region or district. - the land and waters belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a state, sovereign, etc.
- any separate tract of land belonging to a state.
- (often cap.) [Govt.]
- Governmenta 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.
- Governmentsome similar district elsewhere, as in Canada and Australia.
- a field or sphere of action, thought, etc.;
domain or province of something. - the region or district assigned to a representative, agent, or the like, as for making sales.
- Animal Behaviorthe area that an animal defends against intruders, esp. of the same species.
- Latin territōrium land round a town, district, equivalent. to terr(a) land + -i- -i- + -tōrium -tory2
- late Middle English 1400–50
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged domain, dominion, sovereignty.
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