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.
The Israeli government has discussed the possibility of annexing all or part of the West Bank, and far-right ministers have pushed for a complete annexation. Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025 Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have long called for the complete annexation of the West Bank, which is administered by the Palestinian Authority in part and Israel in other areas. Callum Sutherland, Time, 22 Sep. 2025 Kumukahi is wearing a red blouse with an overlaid print of the 1897 petition against the annexation by the United States, written by her great-grand-aunt, and signed by 40,000 people. Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025 Outright annexation could lead to sanctions by the European Union and others in the West. Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Annexation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annexation. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

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