Meaning & use
Territoriality
Last updated
The instinctive or learned tendency to defend, control, or claim ownership of a particular area.
See it in a sentence
Territoriality among the wolves became obvious as they marked the boundaries of their range.
Office territoriality often surfaces when a new employee takes an unassigned desk.
A note on using this word
Widely used in ethology and psychology to describe both animal and human behavior around space and ownership.
Words with a similar meaning
possessivenessturf mentality
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Territoriality”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.