annexation

American  

[an-ik-sey-shuhn, -ek-] / ˌæn ɪkˈseɪ ʃən, -ɛk- /

noun

1. the act or an instance of annexing, or adding to something larger, especially the incorporation of new territory into the domain of a city, country, or state.

2. the fact of being annexed.

   Annexation of the two parts of the Bronx in 1874 and 1895 gave New York City the last of its five boroughs.

3. something annexed.

   Victory in battle resulted in territorial annexations that remained difficult to govern.

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annexation British  

/ -ɛk-, ˌænɪkˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of annexing, esp territory, or the condition of being annexed

2. something annexed

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Other Word Forms

• annexational adjective
• annexationism noun
• annexationist noun
• antiannexation adjective
• deannexation noun
• nonannexation noun
• proannexation adjective
• reannexation noun

Etymology

Origin of annexation

First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin annexātiōn-, stem of annexātiō, equivalent to annexāt(us) “joined to” (past participle of annexāre “to join to”; annex, -ate ¹ ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

But even a hypothetical mass annexation has a way of setting off a frenzy.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that a forcible U.S. annexation of an ally’s territory would be the end of NATO.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Denmark opposes U.S. annexation threats, stating there is no legal basis for the U.S. to annex its territory.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

Latvia and Sweden also recently restarted military service and Lithuania brought it back after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

Hence when Japan sent troops to Korea and annexed it in 1910, Japanese military leaders celebrated the annexation as “the restoration of the legitimate arrangement of antiquity.”

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• incorporation