territoriality
noun
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty
ˌter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē-ˈa-lə-tē 
1
: territorial status
2
a
: persistent attachment to a specific territory
b
: the pattern of behavior associated with the defense of a territory
Examples of territoriality in a Sentence
a scientific study of territoriality in bears
Recent Examples on the Web
By designating the rocky outcrop as a cemetery, the people who buried their dead there were demonstrating territoriality, a type of social behavior typically associated with the start of agriculture nearly 12,000 years ago.
—
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s because territoriality is a major stressor among cats.
—Dr. Patty Khuly, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
Beware territoriality Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at strategy firm Culture Partners, was working with a department in a large company that operated out of an office with about 60 people.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 26 June 2023
The idea is to shed the welfare-state dependency that comes with territoriality.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 2 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for territoriality
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Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s because territoriality is a major stressor among cats.
—Dr. Patty Khuly, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
Beware territoriality Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at strategy firm Culture Partners, was working with a department in a large company that operated out of an office with about 60 people.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 26 June 2023
The idea is to shed the welfare-state dependency that comes with territoriality.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 2 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for territoriality
Cite this Entry
“Territoriality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territoriality. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
territoriality
noun
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty
ˌter-ə-ˌtōr-ē-ˈal-ət-ē
-ˌtȯr-
: the pattern of behavior associated with the defense of an animal's territory
Legal Definition
territoriality
noun
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty
ˌter-ə-ˌtōr-ē-ˈa-lə-tē
1
: territorial status
2
: the jurisdiction of a sovereign state over matters within the limits of its territory especially as exercisable apart from the minimum contacts standard for personal jurisdiction over nonresidents
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