annexation

noun

an·​nex·​a·​tion ˌa-ˌnek-ˈsā-shən 

plural annexations

1

: the act of annexing something or the state of being annexed : the addition of an area or region to a country, state, etc.

The Senate rejected the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty, the purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark, the annexation of Santo Domingo and the annexation of Samoa.

—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

In the early part of the 20th century, Chinese writers generally dated the annexation of Tibet to the 18th century.

—Elliot Sperling

2

: something that is annexed

… defended their annexations with fire and sword.

—George Bernard Shaw

annexational

ˌa-ˌnek-ˈsā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

annexationist

ˌa-ˌnek-ˈsā-sh(ə-)nist 

noun

Examples of annexation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But for most Palestinians, de-facto annexation is already unfolding daily. —Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025

In March 2025, Vice President Vance even led a high-profile US delegation to the American military base in Greenland to advocate for annexation, despite polling data indicating that a large majority of Greenlanders have expressed no enthusiasm for an American takeover. —Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

The City Council initially approved the annexation of unincorporated county land for the development in a 4-2 vote last November, with Jimmy Hallyburton and Meredith Stead voting against the project. —Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Nov. 2025

The other two surveys focused on the possible annexation of Little Gables and the mayor. —Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for annexation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation