annexation
an-ek-SAY-shun
/ˌænɛkˈseɪʃən/
The forcible acquisition or incorporation of a state's territory into another political entity.
Unlike temporary military occupation, annexation involves declaring the seized territory as an integral, permanent part of the annexing state.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'annectere', combining 'ad-' (to) and 'nectere' (to tie or bind). Originally used in medieval legal contracts for attaching or 'binding' an appendix onto a document, it moved into statecraft in the 18th century to describe binding another country's territory onto your own map.
Word relationships
- seizure: Seizure can apply to goods or property, while annexation specifically applies to geographic territory absorbed into a state.
- incorporation: Incorporation can be peaceful and voluntary, whereas annexation carries strong connotations of unilateral force.
- cession: Cession is the formal, voluntary yielding up of territory by a treaty.
- relinquishment: Relinquishment involves giving up claims to territory rather than seizing it.
Commonly confused with
- sovereignty: Annexation is the act of seizing land; sovereignty is the legal right and authority to govern a territory.
Word family
- annex (verb): To append or add territory into an existing political unit.
- annex (noun): An addition or extension to a main building or document.
Collocations
- illegal annexation
- territorial annexation
- formal annexation
- resist annexation
Idioms & expressions
- land grab
Example sentences
- "The illegal annexation of the coastal peninsula drew immediate international sanctions and universal diplomatic condemnation." Territorial Conflict
- "Territorial annexation remains one of the most direct violations of modern international law and state sovereignty." Modern History
Memory hook
ANNEXation ATTACHES (nex = next to / bind) a piece of land onto a bigger nation. Binding land to your own.
When not to use
Do not confuse with temporary occupation or peacekeeping deployment; annexation asserts permanent legal ownership over taken land.
Fun facts
- When Texas was admitted to the United States in 1845, it was accomplished via a controversial joint resolution known as the 'Annexation of Texas'.
Related words
Explore more words
annex, seizure, expropriation, commandeer, usurp, displacement
Also appears in
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