annexation
an-ek-SAY-shun
/ˌæn.ekˈseɪ.ʃən/
The formal act of incorporating a territory into the domain of a city, state, or nation, often unilaterally.
Implies taking possession of land, often by force or coercion, without the full legal agreement of the original owner.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'annectere', meaning to bind or tie onto. Originally used for attaching supplementary documents to contracts, it shifted to describe forcibly attaching foreign territory to a state.
Word relationships
- seizure: Seizure is taking physical possession; annexation is declaring official political ownership over territory.
- occupation: Occupation is temporary military control, whereas annexation claims permanent political statehood over the land.
- cession: Cession is the formal giving up or yielding of territory to another state by treaty.
- relinquishment: Relinquishment means formally surrendering territorial rights.
Commonly confused with
- irredentism: Irredentism is the political belief that land belongs to you; annexation is the actual act of seizing it.
Word family
- annex (verb): To forcefully or unilaterally take control of land.
Collocations
- illegal annexation
- unilateral annexation
- annexation of territory
- forceful annexation
Example sentences
- "The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring the unilateral annexation of the coastal territory illegal." International Law
Memory hook
ANNEX-ation is like attaching an extra room (annex) onto your house, but for entire political territories. Binding foreign territory to your state.
When not to use
Do not confuse with voluntary merger or purchasing of land through formal mutual treaty.
Fun facts
- The U.S. annexation of Texas in 1845 triggered the Mexican-American War.
Related words
Explore more words
annex, seizure, expropriation, commandeer, usurp, displacement
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