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 came the brutal Japanese annexation that lasted from 1910 to 1945. —Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

While there is no timeline for annexation, Doan told The Sacramento Bee that the city is open to and considering multiple uses for the property, including for sports, recreation, entertainment and industrial uses. —Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026

The city manager and other officials are named in an April 6 lawsuit seeking to reverse the annexation. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026

Plans for a Buc-ee’s development date back to 2024 when an annexation of the land to Palmer Lake was first proposed. —Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 22 Apr. 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