the map is not the territory

proverb

Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

Origin

From general semantics; coined by Alfred Korzybski.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

the map is not the territory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20map%20is%20not%20the%20territory

MLA

“the map is not the territory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20map%20is%20not%20the%20territory. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the map is not the territory,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20map%20is%20not%20the%20territory.

Source: the map is not the territory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.