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View synonyms for

territory

[ ter-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

noun

plural territories.
  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: , ,

  3. any separate tract of land belonging to a state.
  4. (often initial capital letter) Government.
    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.


Territory

1

/ ˈtɛrɪtərɪ; -trɪ /

noun

  1. the Territory
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

territory

2

/ 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

territory

  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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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ·ٱ۾·ٴr noun plural subterritories
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Word History and Origins

Origin of territory1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin ٱōܳ “land around a town, district,” from terr(a) “land” + -i- -i- + -ōܳ -tory 2
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Word History and Origins

Origin of territory1

C15: from Latin ٱōܳ land surrounding a town, from terra land
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Idioms and Phrases

see come with the territory ; cover the field (territory) .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of recognising Crimea as part of Russia, telling reporters on Friday: "Our position is unchanged - only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian."

From

“They already took away half our territory,” she said of the United States.

From

Males choose conspicuous basking locations — a rock, stucco wall or, well, a fence — to woo females and proclaim ownership of a territory.

From

Experts say India would first risk flooding its own territory as its dams are far from the Pakistan border.

From

After a previous conflict in Gaza in 2009, a UN survey of the territory found asbestos in debris from older buildings, sheds, temporary building extensions, roofs and the walls of livestock enclosures.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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