1. : a territorial area within which the political influence or the interests of one nation are held to be more or less paramount
2. : a region more or less under the control of a nation but not constituting a formally recognized protectorate
1. : a territorial area within which the political influence or the interests of one nation are held to be more or less paramount
2. : a region more or less under the control of a nation but not constituting a formally recognized protectorate
Webster's New International English Dictionary. Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster. 2012