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

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

The Treasure Valley continues to expand at one of the fastest paces in the country, with new growth data, major annexations and big-ticket public projects in the news recently. —Idaho Statesman, 5 May 2026

Three incumbents held their seats against challengers in a contentious race centered on development, infrastructure and a lawsuit from Fort Worth and Aledo over annexation. —Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2026

Crystal Grove plans also received backlash from residents when petitioners in March appeared before city officials and received approval for the annexation of 112-acre parcels known as 13209, 13232 and 13420 Delaware Street. —Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 2 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