Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

territory

 - 6 dictionary results

ter⋅ri⋅to⋅ry

  [ter-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
Use territory in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ries.
1. any tract of land; region or district.
2. the land and waters belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a state, sovereign, etc.
3. any separate tract of land belonging to a state.
4. (often initial capital letter) Government.
a. 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.
b. 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, esp. of the same species.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L territōrium land round a town, district, equiv. to terr(a) land + -i- -i- + -tōrium -tory 2

Synonyms:
2. domain, dominion, sovereignty.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To territory
ter·ri·to·ry   (těr'ĭ-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē)   
n.   pl. ter·ri·to·ries

  1. An area of land; a region.

  2. The land and waters under the jurisdiction of a government.

    1. A political subdivision of a country.

    2. A geographic region, such as a colonial possession, that is dependent on an external government: the territories of the Holy Roman Empire.

    3. A subdivision of the United States that is not a state and is administered by an appointed or elected governor and elected legislature.

    4. A similarly organized political subdivision of Canada or Australia.

  4. often Territory

    1. A subdivision of the United States that is not a state and is administered by an appointed or elected governor and elected legislature.

    2. A similarly organized political subdivision of Canada or Australia.

  5. An area for which a person is responsible as a representative or agent: a salesperson's territory.

  6. Sports The area of a field defended by a specified team: punted the ball deep into the opponent's territory.

  7. Biology An area occupied by a single animal, mating pair, or group and often vigorously defended against intruders, especially those of the same species.

  8. A sphere of action or interest; a province. See Synonyms at field.


[Middle English, from Latin territōrium, from terra, earth; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

territory 
1432, "land under the jurisdiction of a town, state, etc.," probably from L. territorium "land around a town, domain, district," from terra "earth, land" (see terrain) + -orium, suffix denoting place. An alternate theory, somewhat supported by the vowels of the original L. word, suggests derivation from terrere "to frighten" (see terrible); thus territorium would mean "a place from which people are warned off." Sense of "any tract of land, district, region" is first attested 1610. Specific U.S. sense of "organized self-governing region not yet a state" is from 1799. Territorial waters is attested from 1841; territorial imperative "animal need to claim and defend territory" is recorded from 1966.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ter·ri·to·ry
Pronunciation: 'ter-&-"tOr-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
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 —ter·ri·to·ri·al /"ter-&-'tOr-E-&l/ adjective —ter·ri·to·ri·al·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

territory

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

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

territory

in ecology, any area defended by an organism or a group of similar organisms for such purposes as mating, nesting, roosting, or feeding. Most vertebrates and some invertebrates, such as arthropods, including insects, exhibit territorial behaviour. Possession of a territory involves aggressive behaviour and thus contrasts with the home range, which is the area in which the animal normally lives. Home range is not associated with aggressive behaviour, although parts of the home range may be defended: in this case the defended part is the territory. The type of territory varies with the social behaviour and environmental and resource requirements of the particular species and often serves more than one function, but whatever the type, the territory acts as a spacing mechanism and a means of allocating resources among a segment of the population and denying it to others. Some authorities also consider plants or animals that secrete repulsive chemicals into their immediate environments to be territorial, because the substances space individuals of the species apart from one another.

Learn more about territory with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see territory on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way