annex
Americanverb (used with object)
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to attach, append, or add, especially to something larger or more important.
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to incorporate (territory) into the domain of a city, country, or state.
Germany annexed part of Czechoslovakia.
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to take or appropriate, especially without permission.
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to attach as an attribute, condition, or consequence.
noun
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something annexed.
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a subsidiary building or an addition to a building.
The emergency room is in the annex of the main building.
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something added to a document; appendix; supplement.
an annex to a treaty.
verb
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to join or add, esp to something larger; attach
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to add (territory) by conquest or occupation
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to add or append as a condition, warranty, etc
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to appropriate without permission
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preannexverb (used with object)
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reannexverb (used with object)
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annexableadjective
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nonannexableadjective
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unannexableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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annexsimple
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annexessimple
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have annexedperfect
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has annexedperfect
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am annexingprogressive
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are annexingprogressive
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is annexingprogressive
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have been annexingperfect progressive
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has been annexingperfect progressive
Past
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annexedsimple
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had annexedperfect
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was annexingprogressive
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were annexingprogressive
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had been annexingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing annex
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The Diary of a Young Girl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The lawsuit alleges that detainees face similar conditions as those at the annex, such as mold, disease, medical neglect and inadequate food and water.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Days later the Pentagon updated its press rules, saying it would move all credentialed journalists to a workspace in an annex facility outside the Pentagon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 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
Howard Johnson’s, the Academy annex, served as the site of graduation.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
But Inara demands the whole agreement, including all annexes and associated materials, the secretary of state’s verification assessment and any certifications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Alongside the main declaration, the discussions also produced four annexes, reflecting the four core themes agreed by the member countries.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
The last Mexican governor of the state, he reckons with land-grabbers in the final era of Mexican governance before the United States annexes the territory.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025
Now, though, Le Fisc says it’s ironed out these problems, and is looking to expand the use of its software spotting pools to identifying other undeclared and taxable housing improvements, like extensions and annexes.
From The Verge ● Aug. 30, 2022
These were less grand: storerooms, cupboards, annexes, cubbyholes.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Hitler returned briefly to Braunau in 1938, on his way to Vienna, after he annexed Austria to Nazi Germany.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The eighth project was annexed into the City of Granbury, which had not received any development plans, according to a spokesperson.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Lore Segal was 10 years old in 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed Austria and began the process of annulling the citizenships and confiscating the properties of Jewish families such as her own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
Once tied to the now-defunct city of Tropico, Adams Hill was annexed to Glendale in 1918.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026
But annexed to it and preserved with it, probably in a single red case, were the three large volumes, bound in red leather, that Bilbo gave to him as a parting gift.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
He led major campaigns against the Parthians, Rome’s main rival to the east, sacking their capital city and annexing a huge swath of territory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
A recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that only 19 percent of Americans support annexing Greenland; another European poll found that only 6 percent of Greenlanders would be interested in joining the U.S.
From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2025
Part of President William McKinley's legacy was his role in annexing Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Hawaii.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025
City staffers have proposed other ideas to generate revenue, including annexing unincorporated county land in Westminster, electronic billboards, opening a city gas station and establishing vendor kiosks at the Civic Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
Like they’re annexing us or doing us some kind of favor.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
