Meaning & use
territorial
Relating to a specific area of land, or protective and possessive of one's own space.
See it in a sentence
The border dispute reignited old territorial tensions between the two neighboring nations.
The dog became territorial whenever another animal wandered near its yard.
A note on using this word
Territorial can describe geopolitical claims over land or an animal's, or a person's, instinct to guard its own space.
Words with a similar meaning
possessiveprotective
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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