territory
territory — noun
1. the land or waters belonging to a nation, governed by its laws and international
the land or waters belonging to a nation, governed by its laws and internationally recognised as part of its sovereign domain.
The two countries signed a treaty to divide the territory along the river.
treaty + territory — political division
Isabela's family fled the region when the territory came under enemy control.
Explorers mapped every part of the vast territory before any government claimed ownership.
possessive: vast territory / sovereign territory
The treaty recognised the island as sovereign territory belonging to Japan.
Kabir's ancestors had farmed this territory for generations before the border was drawn.
- disputed territory
- occupied territory
- sovereign territory
- foreign territory
- enemy territory
- international waters
sea areas not under any country's jurisdiction
- no man's land
disputed or unclaimed area between borders
Grammar Patterns
possessive + territory
adjective + territory
Usage Note
Frequently paired with adjectives naming the political status (sovereign territory, occupied territory, disputed territory) or with a country name as a modifier (Canadian territory, Spanish territory).
Common Mistakes
2. a political region within a larger nation that runs its own local affairs but do
a political region within a larger nation that runs its own local affairs but does not have the full governing power that a state enjoys — for example, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Northern Territory of Australia.
Puerto Rico, a US territory, has its own government but no voting members in Congress.
territory as political subunit
The territory elects its own governor, though foreign policy is handled by the national government.
Hawaii was a US territory for over fifty years before becoming a state.
Residents of the territory voted on whether to change their relationship with the mainland.
Diego explained that the island territory has its own tax system separate from the mainland.
- overseas territory
- federal territory
- US territory
- Australian territory
- capital territory
- dependency
more formal, emphasises reliance on a governing power
- colony
historical term for a territory settled by people from another country
- protectorate
a state controlled and protected by another, with more autonomy than a colony
- sovereign state
a fully independent country
- independent nation
a country with full self-government
Grammar Patterns
[country] + territory
name of + territory
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 2 refers to a non-sovereign region whose external affairs are managed by a larger country, whereas sense 1 describes sovereign land that a country controls as its own.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'Taiwan is a territory of China.' — This statement is politically charged and contested; learners should understand that territory has specific legal meanings that may not match all political claims.
3. a space that an animal claims for itself, using it regularly and driving away in
a space that an animal claims for itself, using it regularly and driving away intruders — also used figuratively for a person's claimed personal space like a desk or room.
Each night the male lion patrols his territory and roars to warn other animals away.
Hamza's dog barked furiously whenever another dog entered its territory.
Birds mark their territory by singing loudly from high branches at dawn.
mark their territory — animal behaviour collocation
A wolf pack will fiercely defend its hunting territory against rival groups.
Stefan felt that his desk was his personal territory and disliked anyone touching his papers.
- defend territory
- mark territory
- hunting territory
- home territory
- claim territory
- protect territory
- neutral ground
an area not claimed or defended by anyone
- common area
shared space belonging to no single individual
Grammar Patterns
possessive + territory
mark/defend/patrol + possessive + territory
Usage Note
Commonly used with verbs of defence (defend, guard, patrol, protect) and marking (mark, claim, establish). The human sense is usually informal and applies to spaces like a desk, a room, or a seat.
Common Mistakes
4. a subject, type of knowledge, or area of interest that someone is familiar with,
a subject, type of knowledge, or area of interest that someone is familiar with, has studied, or has experience in — often used metaphorically to describe what a person does or does not know well.
Ancient Roman architecture is not my territory, so I cannot help you with that question.
When the discussion moved into legal territory, Kabir asked to speak with a lawyer.
into [adj] territory — metaphorical pattern
Data analysis falls outside Ayana's territory, but she knows someone who can help.
The professor explained that economic theory was familiar territory for most of the class.
Hana was excited to explore uncharted territory in her research on renewable energy.
- familiar territory
- uncharted territory
- unfamiliar territory
- dangerous territory
- new territory
- not my territory
- unfamiliar ground
something one does not know about
Grammar Patterns
[adjective] + territory
not [possessive] + territory
into + [adjective] + territory
Usage Note
Often found in fixed phrases with adjectives: familiar territory, uncharted territory, dangerous territory. Most natural in negative constructions ('not my territory') or directional metaphors ('moving into… territory'). Less natural as a simple positive claim ('My territory is physics'). The fixed phrase 'goes with the territory' means something is an unavoidable part of a situation.
Common Mistakes
5. a specific geographic area or region that a person or team is responsible for co
a specific geographic area or region that a person or team is responsible for covering in their job — for example, a sales territory or a police officer's patrol area.
Liam's sales territory covers the entire west coast from Seattle to San Diego.
sales territory — business compound noun
Each police officer is assigned a specific territory to patrol during their shift.
Niran asked his manager to reduce his territory so he could visit clients more often.
The new sales representative was given a territory in the Midwest with fifty existing accounts.
The company divided the country into six sales territories, each managed by a regional director.
- sales territory
- assigned territory
- cover territory
- reduce territory
- expand territory
- manage territory
Grammar Patterns
possessive + territory
sales/service/assigned + territory
Usage Note
Most common in sales, policing, and service-industry contexts. The noun 'sales representative' or 'officer' is often the subject. A territory can be defined by geography, customer type, or both.
Common Mistakes
It means something is a normal and expected part of a particular job or situation.
Late nights come with the territory when you work in advertising.
Does dealing with difficult customers go with the territory in retail?
It means in a place that is not connected to either side, so no one has an advantage.
The two companies agreed to negotiate on neutral territory.
We met on neutral ground, a small café downtown.
Word family
- territorialadjectiveB2
- territoriallyadverbC1
- territorialitynounC1
- extraterritorialadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Territory (sense 1) describes a geographical area under political or governmental authority, especially one with established or contested boundaries. Domain is broader, covering both literal land and figurative spheres (public domain, private domain), but is less precise about borders and more about ownership or rule. Region simply identifies a continuous area with shared characteristics — it has no inherent sense of control. Zone specifies a place set apart for a particular use or purpose (combat zone, time zone) rather than political jurisdiction. Area is the most generic term, usable in almost any context. For example: 'Canada claimed the northern territory as its own.' (political control). 'The desert region receives very little rainfall.' (neutral geography). 'This is a no-parking zone.' (designated purpose).
Common collocations
Phrases
- part of someone's territory
- into unfamiliar territory
- outside one's territory
- within someone's territory
Etymology
Territory entered English in the 14th century from Latin 'territorium', meaning 'land around a town' or 'domain'. This Latin noun was formed from 'terra' (earth, land) plus the suffix '-torium' (place connected with). The word came into English through Old French 'territoire'. Its modern political meaning developed from the original sense of an area under a town's jurisdiction.