Meaning & use
territorial expansion
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act or process by which a country or state increases the amount of land under its control.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun; it does not take 'a' or a plural form.
Patterns
- territorial expansion by a country
- territorial expansion into a region
- a period of territorial expansion
The empire's territorial expansion continued for over a century.
Territorial expansion into the north brought new resources but also conflict.
Historians debate the causes of territorial expansion in the nineteenth century.
noununcountablefigurative
The growth of an organization's or group's area of influence or control, not always by taking land.
Grammar: Used figuratively for business, politics, or animal behavior; still uncountable.
Patterns
- territorial expansion by a company
- territorial expansion into new markets
The company's territorial expansion into Asia increased its profits.
The gang's territorial expansion led to violence in neighboring districts.
Wolves mark their boundaries to prevent territorial expansion by rival packs.
Common combinations
- rapid territorial expansion
- The 1840s saw rapid territorial expansion across the continent.
- territorial expansion policy
- The government's territorial expansion policy was criticized abroad.
- territorial expansion by force
- Territorial expansion by force is illegal under international law.
- a wave of territorial expansion
- A new wave of territorial expansion began after the treaty.
Synonyms and how they differ
- annexation
- Annexation means taking control of another country's territory, often by force; territorial expansion is broader and can include peaceful settlement.
- colonization
- Colonization involves sending settlers to live in a new place; territorial expansion can happen without settlement.
- imperialism
- Imperialism is the policy of extending power over other nations; territorial expansion is the physical result of that policy.
Practice
The country's territorial expansion ______ the south was completed in 1890.
Choose one answer.
'Expansion into' is the standard phrase when talking about moving into a region. 'Onto' and 'upon' suggest movement to a surface, and 'at' does not fit the idea of entering an area.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “territorial expansion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.