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.
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
Elliot Sperling2
: something that is annexed
… defended their annexations with fire and sword.—George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard ShawExamples of annexation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The council instructed planners to release acreage currently earmarked for annexation back to Ada County, preempting future requests to incorporate the land into Boise for development.
—Mark Dee
january 27, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
The state Department of Administration, which reviews annexation proposals and issues advisory opinions, concluded the DeForest annexation is not in the public interest because of concerns over how the village would provide water and sewer services for the annexed area.
—Tom Kertscher, jsonline.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Even though Hawaii was not yet a state, the cadets were American citizens because they were born in Hawaii after its annexation in 1898.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The annexation of the Virgin Islands More than a century ago, President Woodrow Wilson bought the islands, then called the Danish West Indies, from Denmark, for $25 million after threatening to take them with force.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annexation
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.
Mark Dee
january 27, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
The state Department of Administration, which reviews annexation proposals and issues advisory opinions, concluded the DeForest annexation is not in the public interest because of concerns over how the village would provide water and sewer services for the annexed area.
—Tom Kertscher, jsonline.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Even though Hawaii was not yet a state, the cadets were American citizens because they were born in Hawaii after its annexation in 1898.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The annexation of the Virgin Islands More than a century ago, President Woodrow Wilson bought the islands, then called the Danish West Indies, from Denmark, for $25 million after threatening to take them with force.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annexation
Cite this Entry
“Annexation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annexation. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
