From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishterritoryter‧ri‧to‧ry /ˈterətəri $ -tɔːri/ ●●○ W3 noun (plural territories) 1 government/military [countable, uncountable]PGCOUNTRY/NATION land that is owned or controlled by a particular country, ruler, or military force Hong Kong became Chinese territory in 1997.occupied/enemy/disputed/hostile territory The plane was flying over enemy territory.► see thesaurus at land2 type of land [uncountable]HEAREA land of a particular typeuncharted/unexplored territory an expedition through previously unexplored territory3 animal [countable, uncountable]HBA the area that an animal, bird etc regards as its own and will defend against other animals A tiger has a large territory to defend. A dog uses urine to mark its territory.4 new or familiar experience [uncountable]AREA a particular area of experience or knowledgenew/unfamiliar/uncharted territory The company is moving into unfamiliar territory with this new software. Actor Patrick Bergin returns to more familiar territory to play a menacing killer.5 business [countable, uncountable]BB an area in a town, country etc that someone is responsible for as part of their job, especially someone whose job is to sell products a sales territory 6 → come/go with the territory7 land that is not a state [countable]PGAREA land that belongs to the United States, Canada etc but that is not a state the US territory of GuamCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + enemy enemy/hostile territoryPatterson had never flown so deep into enemy territory before.occupied territory (=land that is controlled by a foreign country or its army)America has always wanted Israel to give up some of the occupied territory.disputed territory (=land that two countries are fighting or arguing to get control of)The latest round of talks over the disputed territory begins next week.neutral territory (=a place or country that is not controlled by either of the groups or countries involved in a war)After crossing the frontier post, he would be safe in neutral territory.Chinese/German etc territoryThe Russians handed over to Poland a large slice of German territory.
Examples from the Corpus
territory• Often it makes sense to divide a territory into segments radiating outwards, with the salesperson's home being at the centre.• It thinks global economic growth will come in this year at 4.7 %, well into boom territory.• We crossed the river into enemy territory.• His plane was shot down over enemy territory.• In territory subjugated by the Union Army, slavery was protected and enforced, just as it had been before the war.• Miller had accidentally crossed into Iraqi territory and was arrested for spying.• The antelope will control and defend its territory.• These nests will shortly be visited by the female in whose larger territory the various males have set up home.• The negotiations will be held on neutral territory.• The Frankish army secured most of the northern territories, and the Slavs kept their word to Charles.• a salesman's territory• U.S. territories and possessions• Many birds will attack other birds that enter their territory.• At the world-famous San Diego Zoo, the animals will be sharing their territory with wandering herds of Republicans.• Ecevit campaigned in May 1991 to have foreign troops removed from Turkish territory.• Chile is a country filled with unexplored territory.• The island of Guam is a US territory.• Colombian guerrillas had reportedly been operating in Venezuelan territory.• But the Simpson case was territory like no other.occupied/enemy/disputed/hostile territory• Every day there've been two to three flights taking off from Zagreb and flying across disputed territory to Sarajevo.• Eventually some pressure or need caused the migration of one or more into already occupied territory.• He was really on his own now, and in less than two minutes he would be flying over hostile territory.• In order to ensure the support of the nationalist parties Shamir increased settlement funding, including infrastructural development of the occupied territories.• The prize may be to seize the enemy territory, but that is a small reward for so dangerous a business.• It was about laying waste enemy territory, about the pursuit of a retreating army, about sieges.uncharted/unexplored territory• As many media workers would acknowledge, professional ethics in church-related media work are almost uncharted territory.• Returning to the original metaphor of this chapter, the patient is taken into dangerous and unexplored territories of inner space.• The financial system may be about to enter uncharted territory.• There are no road signs in uncharted territory, no footprints to follow in places where no one has ventured before.• Gradually the performance builds into something extraordinary, a gallant voyage into uncharted territory.• The present study is immensely rich in every way, and is an impressive foray into largely uncharted territory.• I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes as the plane headed straight into very uncertain, very uncharted territory indeed.• Periods of punctuated equilibrium offer many new, as yet unexplored territories.mark ... territory• There is no marking territory, no signal, no power thing.• The cities and even rural areas have been divided between these well-armed rival factions, who mark their territories with graffiti.familiar territory• Since Michelangelo was an ardent antiquarian, all this will have been familiar territory.• After a while, the cat gives up and returns to its familiar territory.• I was now in more familiar territory.• They were travelling over familiar territory and life on the march had slipped into a routine.• Camp Holloway at Pleiku was familiar territory.• All this was familiar territory but as films became more ambitious so there emerged the possibility of fuller social statement.• The social work was familiar territory.From Longman Business Dictionaryterritoryter‧ri‧to‧ry /ˈterətəri-tɔːri/ noun (plural territories)1[countable, uncountable]MARKETING an area which is the responsibility of a particular salespersonHis sales force’s territory comprises Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa and Wisconsin.2[countable, uncountable] land that is owned or controlled by a particular government, ruler, or military forceThe parliament has jurisdiction over minerals mined on its territory.Until 1997 Hong Kong was a British territory.3[uncountable] an area of experience or knowledgeStatistical analysis is not the exclusive territory of a handful of specialists.The very competitive market is pushing firms into unfamiliar territory.4negative/positive/record etc territoryFINANCE a situation in which financial investments fall or rise in value, or in which shares etc are higher in value or price than ever beforeOn the world’s major exchanges, stocks ended in negative territory.A late spurt of buying pulled the Dow Jones into positive territory.Origin territory (1300-1400) Latin territorium “land around a town”, from terra; → TERRACE 