Annexation

noun

/ˌænɛkˈseɪʃən/

The forcible incorporation of a territory or state into the domain of another political entity, as practised by the British East India Company through policies like the Doctrine of Lapse.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The annexation of Hyderabad in 1948 through Operation Polo illustrates how the post-independence Indian state balanced the imperatives of territorial consolidation against the principle of non-coercion in integrating the princely states.

Synonyms

appropriationseizuretakeoverincorporationabsorptionoccupation

Antonyms

secessioncessionrelinquishmentwithdrawal

🌱 Word Family

annex (v/n), annexed (adj), annexing (v pres.p), annexationist (n), de-annexation (n)

🔡 Root

Latin ad- = to + nectere = to tie/bind → annexare = to bind to; Medieval Latin annexiationem

📜 Etymology

From Medieval Latin annexiationem, from annexare ("to bind to"), combining Latin ad- ("to") and nectere ("to tie, bind"); entered English in the 1630s with the meaning of adding a smaller territory to a greater one.

🧠 Memory Hook

Think "annex" + "-ation": just as a building annex is an extension bound on to the main structure, annexation binds (Latin nectere, "to tie") a new territory onto a state.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: The Revolt of 1857

Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation