Annex and Annexe Are Not the Same Word in Britain
To annex is to take territory. In British English the building attached to another is spelled annexe, and the verb keeps the plain spelling.
To annex is to attach something, especially to take territory into a state. British English distinguishes in writing: the verb is *annex*, and the noun meaning an attached building is *annexe*, with an e. American English uses *annex* for both. The root is Latin *nectere*, to tie, which also gives *connect* and *nexus*.
- To take territory. *The region was annexed in 1938.*
- To attach. *Annex the schedule to the contract.*
- Annexe (British) — an added building. *The school annexe.*
- Annexation — the act. *The annexation was condemned.*
- Nexus — a connection, from the same root. *A nexus of interests.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | annex | Annex the land. |
| Past | annexed | It was annexed. |
| Noun (US) | annex | The annex building. |
| Noun (UK) | annexe | A hotel annexe. |
| Abstract | annexation | Illegal annexation. |
- The territory was annexed without a vote.Politics.
- Breakfast is served in the annexe.British spelling.
- The documents are annexed to the report.Formal writing.
The nectere family
- Annex — to bind to
- Connect — to bind together
- Nexus — a binding, a link
- Nexus of causes — a common phrase in analysis
- All from Latin *nectere*, to tie
Latin *annexus*, from *annectere*, to bind to, from *ad-* plus *nectere*, to tie. English took the verb in the 1300s.
Is it annex or annexe?
In British English the verb is annex and the building is an annexe. American English uses annex for both.
What does annexation mean in international law?
The formal incorporation of territory into a state. Annexation by force is prohibited under the UN Charter.