ter·ri·to·ry (tĕrĭ-tôr′ē)
Share:
Tweet n. pl. ter·ri·to·ries 1. a. An area of land; a region. b. The land and waters under the jurisdiction of a government. c. A political subdivision of a country. d. A geographic region, such as a colonial possession, that is dependent on an external government: the territories of the Holy Roman Empire. 2. often Territory a. A subdivision of the United States that is not a state and is administered by an appointed or elected governor and elected legislature. b. A similarly organized political subdivision of Canada or Australia. 3. An area for which a person is responsible as a representative or agent: a salesperson's territory. 4. Sports The area of a field defended by a specified team: punted the ball deep into the opponent's territory. 5. Biology An area occupied by a single animal, mating pair, or group and often vigorously defended against intruders, especially those of the same species. 6. A sphere of action or interest; a province. See Synonyms at field. [Middle English territorie, from Latin territōrium, from terra, earth; see ters- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.