annex

1 of 2

verb

annexed; annexing; annexes

transitive verb

1
: to incorporate (an additional geographic area) within the domain of a country, state, etc.
The U.S. annexed Texas in 1845.
… the Dutch colony was annexed by Indonesia.Julian Evans
Danville [Illinois] has continued to expand its geographic footprint despite population decline by annexing adjacent communities.Sara S. Metcalf
2
: to add (something) to something earlier, larger, or more important
often used with to
They annexed a copy of the letter to the affidavit.
… a … bathroom annexed to a wide variety of household spaces.Duo Dickinson
3
: to obtain or take (something) for oneself
After a time Heyst perceived that Wang had annexed all the keys. Any keys left lying about vanished after Wang had passed that way.Joseph Conrad
Winning a blue at every show this season, DEAL ME ACES has annexed an enviable eight blues … out of ten performances.advertisement in Saddle Horse Report
4
: to attach (something) as a quality, consequence, or condition
often used with to
Many privileges were annexed exclusively to royalty.
5
archaic : to join (things or people) together : unite
… the deponent … asked Mrs. Tuck for the testator's will and codicil; and he annexed them together and sealed them up …The Revised Reports: Being a Republication of Such Cases in the English Courts of Common Law and Equity, from the Year 1785 …

annex

2 of 2

noun

an·​nex ˈa-ˌneks How to pronounce annex (audio)
-niks
: something annexed as an expansion or supplement: such as
a
: an added stipulation or statement : appendix
approved the annex in the treaty
b
: a building that is attached to or near a larger building and usually used as part of it : wing
Historical photographs were on view in the library's annex.

Examples of annex in a Sentence

Verb The United States annexed Texas in 1845. The government planned to annex the islands. Noun The addition will be used as an annex to the library. We store our old files in the annex. an annex to the document
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Before the United States annexed Puerto Rico in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War, the island was a colony of Spain. Christina D. Ponsa-Kraus / Made By History, TIME, 11 Oct. 2024 Environmentalists, who object to the removal of trees from Capitol Park to accommodate the annex, are also frozen out. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2024
Noun
At the height of World War II, Anne Frank spent more than two years cooped up with her family in a secret annex in Amsterdam. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 Six years later, the old annex is gone, but nothing has risen in its place. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for annex 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French annexer, from annexe attached, from Latin annexus, past participle of annectere to bind to, from ad- + nectere to bind

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of annex was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near annex

Cite this Entry

“Annex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annex. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

annex

1 of 2 verb
1
: to attach as an addition : append
2
: to add (a territory) to one's own territory to form a larger country
the United States annexed Texas in 1845
annexation noun

annex

2 of 2 noun
an·​nex ˈan-ˌeks How to pronounce annex (audio)
ˈan-iks
: something annexed
especially : an added part of a building

Legal Definition

annex

transitive verb
1
: attach sense 2
correspondence annexed to the petition
a greenhouse annexed to the building
2
: to incorporate (as a territory) within a political domain
the district annexes only shards of 24 additional parishesHays v. Louisiana, 839 F. Supp. 1188 (1993)
annexation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on annex

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