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

Trump's desire to reclaim control of the canal has come amid several claims of wanting to expand U.S. territory, including taking Greenland from Denmark and even suggesting the annexation of neighboring Canada. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024

Hawaii The Spanish-American War increased the strategic value of Hawaii as a base for military operations in the Philippines, which led to its annexation in 1898. —Victor Hagan, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2024

Will the second Trump Administration greenlight Israeli annexation of the West Bank? —Rosemary Kelanic, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024

The Lockhart vote, formally introduced to the board in May, follows a yearlong campaign by members of the Greater Lockhart for ACC PAC who argue the annexation is necessary to help the growing district have sustainable workforce training opportunities. —Lily Kepner, Austin American-Statesman, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1