territorial

Universal Words adjective 1 connected with the land or sea that is owned by a particular country: territorial gains / disputes * Both countries feel they have territorial claims to (= have a right to own) the islands. 2 (technical) (of animals, birds, etc.) guarding and defending an area of land that they believe to be their own: territorial instincts * Cats are very territorial. territoriality noun [U]: the instinctive territoriality of some animals territorially adverb: The country was trying to expand territorially.