annexation

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

annexationist

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural -s
: one who favors annexation

Examples of annexation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Its boundaries have shifted through wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements. Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 Its boundaries have shifted through wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements. Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 An annexation might just qualify. Joshua Hunt, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026 In Nuuk, Horn appeared to be positioning himself to profit in the event of an American annexation. Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for annexation

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1844, in the meaning defined above

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 8 Jul. 2026.

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