- territory
- early 15c., "land under the jurisdiction of a town, state, etc.," probably from L. territorium "land around a town, domain, district," from terra "earth, land" (see terrain) + -orium, suffix denoting place. An alternative theory, somewhat supported by the vowels of the original L. word, suggests derivation from terrere "to frighten" (see terrible); thus territorium would mean "a place from which people are warned off." Sense of "any tract of land, district, region" is first attested c.1600. Specific U.S. sense of "organized self-governing region not yet a state" is from 1799. Territorial waters is attested from 1841; territorial imperative "animal need to claim and defend territory" is recorded from 1966.