Nonannexation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The doctrine of abstaining from territorial acquisition holds that areas should remain independent rather than be incorporated into another entity
2. The position advocating for the non-integration of regions emphasizes maintaining their separate governance rather than merging them
3. A principle or stance that opposes the incorporation of new lands into an existing state or nation

Etymology: "Nonannexation" is a plain compound: the prefix "non-" ("not") attached to "annexation," which comes from the Latin "annexus," past participle of "annectere," meaning "to tie or bind to." English "annexation" thus carries the sense of binding one territory onto another, and "nonannexation" names the stance of leaving such binding undone. The word is used mainly in discussions of territorial policy, where a government or movement declares that it will not take over neighbouring or newly acquired lands. Its construction shows how English readily forms negated nouns from existing terms, so the meaning can be read straight from its parts without any special history behind it.