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

Then there’s outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who flew south as Trump reignited talk of tariffs and annexation. —Zach Everson, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

The former vice president warned in that op-ed that Chinese annexation of Taiwan could rattle global supply chains and spark a nuclear arms race. Pence since leaving office delivered speeches and used his advocacy group to warn Republicans against withdrawing from the world stage. —Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025

In 2013, Crimea's annexation seemed unthinkable; by 2022, a full-scale invasion was a reality. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025

The designation comes under a sanctions authority approved during Russia's 2014 invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, according to administration officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House. —Aamer Madhani The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 11 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1