annexation

noun

an·​nex·​a·​tion ˌa-ˌnek-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce annexation (audio)
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 adjective
annexationist noun

Examples of annexation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump hasn’t been tapped along because Putin has never retreated from his annexation ends or his savage means. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 24 May 2025 The soldiers’ demands also suggest that Mr. Putin’s hasty annexation of four Ukrainian regions early in the war may have limited his current options in negotiations because a significant part of the population would view anything less as a defeat. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 17 May 2025 Hawaiian planters were crushed, increasing support among the islands’ U.S. elite for annexation. Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025 Netanyahu is preparing to re-invade Gaza with a plan to herd the Palestinian population there into a tiny corner, with the Mediterranean Sea one side and the Egyptian border on the other — while also advancing de facto annexation at ever greater speed and breadth in the West Bank. Thomas Friedman, Mercury News, 11 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for annexation

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of annexation was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Annexation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annexation. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on annexation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!