territorialism

[ ter-i-tawr-ee-uh-liz-uhm, -tohr- ]

noun

1. a principle or system that gives predominance to the landed classes.
2. Also called territorial system. a theory of church policy according to which the supreme ecclesiastical authority is vested in the civil power.

territorialism

/ ˌtɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəlɪzəm /

noun

1. a social system under which the predominant force in the state is the landed class
2. a former Protestant theory that the civil government has the right to determine the religious beliefs of the subjects of a state

Derived Forms

• ˌterriˈtorialist, noun

Other Words From

• terri·tori·al·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of territorialism¹

First recorded in 1870–75; territorial + -ism

Example Sentences

He talks about movies not with a know-it-all territorialism but rather an inclusive camaraderie.

From Los Angeles Times

While some might feel a sense of territorialism over their creation, as a veteran of the blogging world, Wilson acknowledges that’s not how things work in the recipe sphere.

From Washington Post

But for reasons that are not entirely clear — classic Washington bureaucratic territorialism, the department’s unwillingness to share information or the desire to stage-manage a successful public forum — members have resisted turning over hundreds of transcripts until they are done with their work.

From New York Times

Bobby Kim, the Asian American co-owner of streetwear brand the Hundreds, remembers a run-in while surfing in Santa Monica that escalated from territorialism to racism.

From Los Angeles Times

Nevertheless, by showing how wars have advanced in lockstep with civilization, ever since they first really took off 10,000 years ago with the birth of farming and thus territorialism, MacMillan challenges his claim that there is a “civilizing process.”

From Washington Post