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

Palestinians in the West Bank fear annexation, as new Israeli regulations tighten control over the territory and strip the local governorate of planning and building authority. —Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026

In the petition, the plaintiffs are asking the court to void Willow Park’s annexation. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026

Indeed, the young British society swan was living in Austria to perfect her German when Adolf Hitler and his entourage drove past her apartment in Vienna, marking the start of the Anschluss, or annexation of Austria, in March 1938. —Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026

Netanyahu committed to pursuing West Bank annexation in Likud's coalition agreement with the Religious Zionist Party. —CBS News, 16 Feb. 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