Definition

1. Noun:
   • The formal act of acquiring something (especially territory) by conquest or occupation: "Annexation" refers to the official process by which one state seizes and incorporates territory, typically through force or the threat of force, into its own domain.
   • Incorporation by joining or uniting: In a broader, often less political sense, "annexation" can describe the act of attaching or adding something smaller to a larger entity.

Usage

• As a subject: "Annexation" is often the subject of a sentence when discussing historical or political events.
• As an object: It is commonly used as the object of verbs like "prevent," "justify," "condemn," or "carry out."
• Common collocations: It frequently follows prepositions like "of" (annexation a territory) and "by" (annexation a powerful state).

Examples

• Political/Territorial Context:
  • The annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 was condemned by many nations.
  • Historians debate the legal justifications for the annexation.
• General Context of Addition:
  • The annexation of the new wing doubled the library's floor space.
  • The treaty allowed for the peaceful annexation of the independent city-state.

Advanced Usage

• "de facto annexation": A situation where a territory is controlled and administered by another state without a formal declaration or international recognition of the act.
  • The prolonged military occupation was seen as a de facto annexation.
• "annexationist" (adj/n): Relating to or a person who advocates for annexation.
  • The politician's annexationist policies were highly controversial.

Variants and Related Words

• Annex (verb): To attach, add, or incorporate, especially territory.
  • The empire sought to annex the neighboring islands.
• Annex (noun): A building added to a larger one or a document added to a main document.
  • The meeting will be held in the annex.
• Annexationist: See "Advanced Usage."

Synonyms

• Seizure: The act of taking possession, often forcibly.
• Incorporation: The action of including something as part of a whole.
• Appropriation: Taking something for one's own use, typically without permission.

Antonyms

• Cession: The formal giving up of rights, property, or territory by a state.
• Secession: The action of withdrawing formally from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.
• Detachment: The state of being objective or aloof; or the action of disconnecting something.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Annexation by conquest": A phrase specifying the method of acquisition.
  • The territory changed hands through annexation by conquest.
• "Forcible annexation": Emphasizes the use of coercion or military force in the act.
  • The UN resolution denounced the forcible annexation.

Noun

1. the formal act of acquiring something (especially territory) by conquest or occupation
   • the French annexation of Madagascar as a colony in 1896
   • a protectorate has frequently been a first step to annexation
2. incorporation by joining or uniting