ter·ri·to·ry    (tĕrĭ-tôr′ē)
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              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.







