Territorial means concerned with the ownership of a particular area of land or water.
It is the only republic which has no territorial disputes with the others.
The two countries dispute each other's territorial claims to the islands.
2. countable noun [usu theN in pl]
In Britain, theTerritorials are the members of the Territorial Army.
3. adjective
If you describe an animal or its behaviour as territorial, you mean that it has an area which it regards as its own, and which it defends when other animals try to enter it.
Two cats or more in one house will also exhibit territorial behaviour.
territorial in British English
(ˌtɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəl)
adjective
1.
of or relating to a territory or territories
2.
restricted to or owned by a particular territory
the Indian territorial waters
3.
local or regional
4.
pertaining to a territorial army, providing a reserve of trained men for use in emergency
Derived forms
territorially (ˌterriˈtorially)
adverb
Territorial in British English
(ˌtɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəl)
noun
a member of a territorial army, esp the British Army's Territorial and Volunteer Reserve
territorial in American English
(ˌtɛrəˈtɔriəl)
adjective
1.
of territory or land
2.
of, belonging to, or limited to a specific territory, district, or jurisdictional area
territorial waters
3. US; [T-]
of a Territory or Territories
4. [oftenT-]
organized in regional groups for home defense
the Territorial Army of Great Britain
5. Ethology
characterized by or displaying territoriality
noun
6.
a member of a territorial force
7. [T-]
a member of the British Territorial Army
Derived forms
territorially (ˌterriˈtorially)
adverb
Word origin
LL territorialis
Examples of 'territorial' in a sentence
territorial
The pairs remain together in winter, and are often engaged in loud territorial disputes with other pairs high in the trees.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The underdogs should have done more with their territorial advantage.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Often the tiny territorial gains were lost to swift counter attacks.
The Sun (2014)
Which only ushers in a fresh phase of territorial dispute.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Already he has been making substantial territorial gains over the past three months.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It has not settled any territorial disputes at sea.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He joined the territorial army, and liked it.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The kingdom persists, although it does not make territorial claims.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In territorial disputes, the animal who holds the territory usually has a decisive advantage over the interloper.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We may have territorial claims we do not want to relinquish, but we do not need to press them.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Territorial claims outside that are up for grabs, provided a country can show that its continental shelf extends farther along the seabed.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
China has recently revived maritime territorial claims that had been left dormant, and confronted the navies of other nations to assert those claims.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The five great nations of Europe went to war in 1914 not for any specific territorial gains.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
In the ninth century Viking invaders had made substantial territorial gains in northern Spain.
Jonathan Wright Ambassadors: From Ancient Greece to the Nation State (2006)
And of course the Spanish lost, but that was a freak outcome given the territorial advantage they had.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The situation has recently been altered drastically by a pair of goats introduced to strengthen Japan's territorial claim.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But the Germans had the territorial advantage, though there was a casual look about some of their players at times.
The Sun (2016)
In other languages
territorial
British English: territorial ADJECTIVE
Territorial means concerned with the ownership of a particular area of land or water.
It is the only republic which has no territorial disputes with the others.