territory

/ˈterətri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈterətɔːri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē/ (ame, mw)

territory — 名詞

  • territorysingular
  • territoriesplural

1. the land or waters belonging to a nation, governed by its laws and international

1.名詞B1
釋義

領土

一個國家管轄的陸地或海域範圍

the land or waters belonging to a nation, governed by its laws and internationally recognised as part of its sovereign domain.

例句

The two countries signed a treaty to divide the territory along the river.

兩國簽署了一項條約，沿著河流劃分領土。

treaty + territory — political division

Isabela's family fled the region when the territory came under enemy control.

Isabela 一家人在領土落入敵軍控制時逃離了該地區。

同義詞
  • domain

    more formal, can be figurative; 'the domain of the king'

  • region

    neutral geographical area without implying political control

  • zone

    suggests a designated purpose or character rather than sovereignty

反義詞

文法句型

possessive + territory

adjective + territory

用法筆記

Frequently paired with adjectives naming the political status (sovereign territory, occupied territory, disputed territory) or with a country name as a modifier (Canadian territory, Spanish territory).

常見錯誤

❌The Sahara Desert is a territory of several countries.
✅The Sahara Desert spans the territory of several countries.
💡territory implies formal governmental control; for natural features, use 'spans the territory of' or 'lies within.'
❌He bought a territory of land to build a house.
✅He bought a plot of land to build a house.
💡territory is too political and large-scale for a private property purchase.

2. a political region within a larger nation that runs its own local affairs but do

2.名詞B2
釋義

屬地

享有自治權但非獨立國家的行政區

a political region within a larger nation that runs its own local affairs but does not have the full governing power that a state enjoys — for example, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Northern Territory of Australia.

例句

Puerto Rico, a US territory, has its own government but no voting members in Congress.

波多黎各是美國的屬地，擁有自己的政府，但在國會中沒有投票代表。

territory as political subunit

The territory elects its own governor, though foreign policy is handled by the national government.

該屬地自行選舉首長，但外交政策由中央政府處理。

同義詞
  • dependency

    more formal, emphasises reliance on a governing power

  • colony

    historical term for a territory settled by people from another country

  • protectorate

    a state controlled and protected by another, with more autonomy than a colony

反義詞

文法句型

[country] + territory

name of + territory

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 2 refers to a non-sovereign region whose external affairs are managed by a larger country, whereas sense 1 describes sovereign land that a country controls as its own.

常見錯誤

❌Scotland is a territory of the United Kingdom.
✅Scotland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
💡some regions are not called 'territories' even if they lack full sovereignty; check the official political term.

❌ 'Taiwan is a territory of China.' — This statement is politically charged and contested; learners should understand that territory has specific legal meanings that may not match all political claims.

3. a space that an animal claims for itself, using it regularly and driving away in

3.名詞B1
釋義

地盤

動物或個人守衛的專屬區域

a space that an animal claims for itself, using it regularly and driving away intruders — also used figuratively for a person's claimed personal space like a desk or room.

例句

Each night the male lion patrols his territory and roars to warn other animals away.

每晚雄獅巡視自己的地盤，並發出吼叫以警告其他動物遠離。

Hamza's dog barked furiously whenever another dog entered its territory.

只要有其他狗進入 Hamza 的狗的地盤，牠就會狂吠。

同義詞
  • domain

    broader, can be literal or figurative; less aggressive than territory

  • turf

    informal, especially in sports or street contexts

  • patch

    informal British English, especially for animals or small personal areas

反義詞

文法句型

possessive + territory

mark/defend/patrol + possessive + territory

用法筆記

Commonly used with verbs of defence (defend, guard, patrol, protect) and marking (mark, claim, establish). The human sense is usually informal and applies to spaces like a desk, a room, or a seat.

常見錯誤

❌This kitchen is my territory — I do all the cooking.
✅This kitchen is my domain
💡I do all the cooking.' — 'territory' for human personal space has a defensive, possessive tone; 'domain' sounds more natural for claiming a role or area.
❌The cat considers the whole house its territory.
✅The cat considers the whole house its territory because it sleeps and eats there.
💡'territory' for domestic animals is acceptable but adding a reason clarifies the claim.

4. a subject, type of knowledge, or area of interest that someone is familiar with,

4.名詞B2
釋義

領域

擅長或熟悉的知識或興趣範圍

a subject, type of knowledge, or area of interest that someone is familiar with, has studied, or has experience in — often used metaphorically to describe what a person does or does not know well.

例句

Ancient Roman architecture is not my territory, so I cannot help you with that question.

古羅馬建築不是我的領域，所以我無法回答那個問題。

When the discussion moved into legal territory, Kabir asked to speak with a lawyer.

當討論進入法律領域時，Kabir 要求與律師談話。

into [adj] territory — metaphorical pattern

同義詞
  • field

    the most natural word for a subject of study or work

  • area

    broader and more general than territory for knowledge domains

  • domain

    more formal, emphasises ownership of a knowledge area

反義詞

文法句型

[adjective] + territory

not [possessive] + territory

into + [adjective] + territory

用法筆記

Often found in fixed phrases with adjectives: familiar territory, uncharted territory, dangerous territory. Most natural in negative constructions ('not my territory') or directional metaphors ('moving into… territory'). Less natural as a simple positive claim ('My territory is physics'). The fixed phrase 'goes with the territory' means something is an unavoidable part of a situation.

常見錯誤

❌Physics is my territory — I teach it at the university.
✅Physics is my field
💡I teach it at the university.' — 'territory' in positive claims about expertise sounds unnatural; use 'field' or 'area' instead.
❌Cooking is new territory for me because I never tried it before.
✅Cooking is new territory for me
💡I have never tried it before.' — This is actually acceptable, but 'unfamiliar territory' is the more common fixed phrase.

5. a specific geographic area or region that a person or team is responsible for co

5.名詞B2
釋義

轄區

工作中負責的特定地區

a specific geographic area or region that a person or team is responsible for covering in their job — for example, a sales territory or a police officer's patrol area.

例句

Liam's sales territory covers the entire west coast from Seattle to San Diego.

Liam 的銷售轄區涵蓋整個西海岸，從西雅圖到聖地牙哥。

sales territory — business compound noun

Each police officer is assigned a specific territory to patrol during their shift.

每位警察在值勤時都被分配到特定的巡邏轄區。

同義詞
  • beat

    specifically a police officer's regular patrol route or area

  • district

    an administrative area, often with clearly drawn boundaries

  • patch

    informal British English for someone's assigned area of responsibility

  • route

    especially for delivery or service workers who travel

文法句型

possessive + territory

sales/service/assigned + territory

用法筆記

Most common in sales, policing, and service-industry contexts. The noun 'sales representative' or 'officer' is often the subject. A territory can be defined by geography, customer type, or both.

常見錯誤

❌My territory at the restaurant is serving tables.
✅My section at the restaurant is serving tables.
💡'territory' for job responsibility implies a physical geographic area, not a type of task.
❌The IT support team has a territory of user problems.
✅The IT support team handles a range of user problems.
💡'territory' for job duties works only when those duties are linked to a physical area.