territorial

Connected with land that a country or group owns or controls.

• The countries have a territorial dispute.
• The boat entered their territorial waters.
• Leaders promised to respect each country’s territorial boundaries.

Common phrases: territorial dispute, territorial waters, territorial rights

Strongly protecting an area or something you think belongs to you.

• These birds are territorial.
• Our cat becomes territorial around other cats.
• He is territorial about his desk.

How to use it: be territorial about something (She is territorial about her workspace.)

Similar words: possessive

Common phrases: territorial animal, territorial behaviour, territorial about something