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
see also go with the territory
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
Simpson fumbled in Indiana territory after a courageous first-down scramble late in the first half, and the Hoosiers methodically drove for Mendoza’s 1-yard TD pass with 17 seconds left to Cooper, the hero of Indiana’s dramatic victory over Penn State.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
At one point, the S&P 500 was even on the cusp of closing in bear market territory.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
Reopening the crossing, which would allow Palestinians to leave Gaza — especially the ill and wounded who could get specialized care unavailable in the territory — has been contentious.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
But after Ole Miss had taken a 27-24 lead, Georgia again ran an offensive play on fourth down in its own territory and Stockton was sacked by Suntarine Perkins.
—Brett Martel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for territory
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
At one point, the S&P 500 was even on the cusp of closing in bear market territory.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
Reopening the crossing, which would allow Palestinians to leave Gaza — especially the ill and wounded who could get specialized care unavailable in the territory — has been contentious.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
But after Ole Miss had taken a 27-24 lead, Georgia again ran an offensive play on fourth down in its own territory and Stockton was sacked by Suntarine Perkins.
—Brett Martel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for territory
Cite this Entry
“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
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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