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

Israel advanced a bill on Tuesday that would expand Israeli civilian authority sweeping authority over antiquities and archaeology in the occupied West Bank, a move that human rights groups warned would lead to the annexation of the Palestinian territory. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026

Construction could begin after the city signs off on annexation, plats and a new water well for the area, but the developer told council members homes are unlikely to be occupied until after ITD finishes its Karcher Road work, with full build‑out expected to take five to 10 years. —Noah Daly may 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026

Residents filed an April 6 lawsuit seeking to reverse the January annexation. —Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026

Following penalties placed on Russia in the early 2010s following its annexation of Crimea, Russia agreed to a currency swap with China worth 150 billion yuan, about $25 billion. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 May 2026

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