territorialism

English

Etymology

territorial +‎ -ism

Noun

territorialism (countable and uncountable, plural territorialisms)

1. Territoriality: the assertion of rights to a territory
   • 2009 January 23, Matt Higgins, “Rough Waves, Tougher Beaches”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Such incidents create debate about localism, a brand of territorialism that has been practiced at surf breaks around the world for decades.

2. (religion) A theory of church government according to which the ruler of a country has the natural right to rule also over the ecclesiastical affairs of its people.