# territory

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɛɹɪˌtɔɹi/ · frequency rank #2,505

## Definitions
1. A large extent or tract of land; for example a region, country or district.
2. One of three of Canada's federal entities, located in the country's Arctic, with fewer powers than a province and created by an act of Parliament rather than by the Constitution: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
3. One of three of Australia's federal entities, located in the country's north and southeast, with fewer powers than a state and created by an act of Parliament rather than by the Constitution: Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory.
4. A geographic area under control of a single governing entity such as state or municipality; an area whose borders are determined by the scope of political power rather than solely by natural features such as rivers and ridges.
5. An area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against its conspecifics.
6. The part of the playing field or board over which a player or team has control.
7. A geographic area that a person or organization is responsible for in the course of work.
8. A location or logical space which someone owns or controls.
9. A market segment or scope of professional practice over which an organization or type of practitioner has exclusive rights.
10. An area of subject matter, knowledge, or experience.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English territorie, from Latin territōrium.

## Common misspellings (12)
`etrritory`, `terirtory`, `teritory`, `terriotry`, `territorry`, `territoryy`, `territoyr`, `territroy`, `territtory`, `terrtiory`, `treritory`, `tterritory`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/territory