territory: Meaning and Definition of

ter•ri•to•ry

1. any tract of land; region or district.
2. the land and waters belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a state, sovereign, etc.
3. any separate tract of land belonging to a state.
4. (often cap.)
1. a region or district of the U.S. not admitted to the Union as a state but having its own legislature, with a governor and other officers appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
2. some similar district elsewhere, as in Canada and Australia.
5. a field or sphere of action, thought, etc.; domain or province of something.
6. the region or district assigned to a representative, agent, or the like, as for making sales.
7. the area that an animal defends against intruders, esp. of the same species.