annex

American  

[uh-neks, an-eks, an-eks, -iks] / əˈnɛks, ˈæn ɛks, ˈæn ɛks, -ɪks /

verb (used with object)

annexes, present (3rd person singular) annexed, past participle, past annexing present participle

1. to attach, append, or add, especially to something larger or more important.

2. to incorporate (territory) into the domain of a city, country, or state.

   Germany annexed part of Czechoslovakia.

3. to take or appropriate, especially without permission.

4. to attach as an attribute, condition, or consequence.

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noun

1. something annexed.

2. a subsidiary building or an addition to a building.

   The emergency room is in the annex of the main building.

3. something added to a document; appendix; supplement.

   an annex to a treaty.

annex British  

verb

1. to join or add, esp to something larger; attach

2. to add (territory) by conquest or occupation

3. to add or append as a condition, warranty, etc

4. to appropriate without permission

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noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US) of annexe

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preannex
  verb (used with object)
• unannexable
  adjective
• annexable
  adjective
• nonannexable
  adjective
• reannex
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has annexed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have annexed
  perfect
• is annexing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are annexing
  progressive
• has been annexing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been annexing
  perfect progressive
• annexes
  singular 3rd person
• am annexing
  progressive 1st person singular
• annexing
  participle

Past

• had annexed
  perfect
• were annexing
  progressive plural
• was annexing
  progressive singular
• had been annexing
  perfect progressive
• annexed
  simple
• annexed
  participle

Future

• will annex
  simple
• will have annexed
  perfect
• will have been annexing
  perfect progressive
• will be annexing
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of annex

First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French annexer, from Medieval Latin annexāre, derivative of Latin annexus “tied to,” past participle of annectere ( see annectent); (noun) from French annexe or noun use of verb

Explanation

An annex is an extension of or an addition to a building. A small room off of a main room is an annex, and attics are another type of annex. As a noun, an annex is part of a building or an addition to a main structure, or it can be an attachment, as in "an annex to the current plans." When used as a verb, the word means something a little different. Sometimes annex is used as a nice word for "take" or "grab," as when Nazi Germany took the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia in 1938 and added it to their own territory. In order to annex something to what is yours, you have to take it away from someone else.

Example Sentences

The Manhattan apartment of CBS News special correspondent Anthony Mason could serve as an annex to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

As tensions mounted over President Trump's threats to annex Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, the European Parliament in January suspended the approval of the deal.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Her vision is precise: a south-facing garden to catch the evening light, and a self-contained annex where her father might stay comfortably when visiting, or even live in later years.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

He said a new press workspace will be established "in an annex facility outside the Pentagon, but still on Pentagon grounds."

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

She decided he must live in the other one—with the windows, the annex, and two wooden boats in the yard.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• addendum
• appendix