plural annexations
Synonyms of annexation
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

Examples of annexation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In February, the cities of Fort Worth and Aledo joined together to sue Willow Park in Parker County, saying the initial annexation was unlawful since the land wasn’t contiguous to Willow Park’s boundaries. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026 There was no opposition to the annexation, as Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th, once noted her surprise that the land wasn’t already within the town limits. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026 Both opposed ending the Gaza war, both are advocating for Israeli settlements in Gaza, and both envision full annexation of and Jewish control over the West Bank. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition partners frequently call for the West Bank’s annexation and the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority in the territory. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for annexation

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of annexation was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Annexation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annexation. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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