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Meaning & use

territories

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈter.ɪ.triz/
US/ˈter.ə.tɔːr.iz/

“territories” is a form of “territory”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    Areas of land, especially those belonging to or controlled by a particular country or ruler.

    Grammar: Countable; use 'a territory' for one area and 'territories' for more than one.

    Patterns

    • a country's territories
    • overseas territories

    The island is one of France's overseas territories.

    The two countries are fighting over the disputed territories.

    The map shows all the territories that the empire once controlled.

  2. nouncountablebiology

    The particular area that an animal or group of animals defends as its own.

    Grammar: Often used in biology; a male animal may mark its territory.

    Patterns

    • mark a territory
    • defend a territory

    Male wolves mark their territories with urine.

    Birds sing to warn others away from their territories.

  3. nouncountablefigurative

    An area of knowledge or activity that someone is responsible for or interested in.

    Grammar: Often used figuratively: 'sales territory' means the area a salesperson covers.

    Patterns

    • somebody's territory
    • cover a territory

    That question is outside my territory; ask the IT department.

    The sales team divides the country into different territories.

Word forms

singularterritory

Common combinations

disputed territories
The peace talks focused on the disputed territories.
overseas territories
The UK has several overseas territories.
mark your territory
He put his bag on the desk to mark his territory.
occupied territories
The UN called for the withdrawal from occupied territories.

Synonyms and how they differ

region
Region is a general word for any area, while territory often suggests political control or animal ownership.
domain
Domain is more formal and often refers to an area of knowledge or influence, not land.

Word family

territorial adjective
Relating to territory or to defending an area.
territoriality noun
The behavior of defending a territory.

Commonly confused: territories or terrain?

territories vs terrain

Terrain means the physical features of land (e.g. rocky terrain), not a political or animal area.

Practice

The island is one of the country's overseas ______.

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