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Glite Dictionary
trust territory

trust territory

1 8.1
A territory run by another country under an international agreement, often supervised by the United Nations
  • noun
  • /trʌst ˈtɛrɪtɔri/
  • Archaic
translation icon : territorio de tutela
  • The Northern Mariana Islands became a trust territory following World War II, under the administration of the United States.
  • former trust territory

Examples

  • The United Nations oversaw the governance of several trust territories before they achieved self-governance or independence.

  • The second paragraph deals with rights over natural resources, and the third relates to the promotion of self-determination, inter alia, with regard to non-self-governing and trust territories.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The United States has entered into free association agreements with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau, all former U.S. trust territories in the Pacific.

    Academic text (1997)

  • During the subsequent three decades, all Mandate and Trust territories gained independence (with the exception of the State of Palestine): Lebanon and Syria in 1941, Jordan in 1946, and Israel in 1948.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Palau was recognized as a trust territory until it gained independence in October 1994 after years of U.N. supervision.

Synonyms

protectorate
vstrust territory
  • Specialized
9 9.1

A territory that keeps its own government but is partly controlled and protected by a stronger country

places the area under another state's administration rather than preserving internal autonomy
dependency
vstrust territory
  • Specialized
4 5.7

An area controlled by a distant country that is not fully independent

adds administration by international agreement and often UN supervision
trusteeship
vstrust territory
  • Archaic
1 8.4

A territory governed by another country under United Nations supervision to prepare for self-rule

focuses on administration under international agreement rather than preparing for independence

Surface Forms

trust territory singular
trust territories plural

Morphology

trust + territory

The compound is compositionally interpretable: a 'territory' that is held or administered in 'trust', so learners who know both words can infer a territory managed by another party. However, the specific legal/political nuance (a dependent territory placed under international administration or UN supervision) is technical and not fully predictable for a B1 learner, so the relation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Trust territory comes from the idea that trust means holding something for someone and territory means land, so one country is 'in trust'—holding the land to look after its people. That's why it means a 'dependent territory' placed under another country's control, often by the United Nations, until it can become independent.