WordGarden.ioaccession
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /əksˈɛʃən/
US
- /əkˈsɛʃən/
Meanings
Noun
the formal act of joining a treaty, convention, or political union
the act of coming to a throne or other high public office
the formal addition of an item to a collection, or an item so added
More meaningsFewer meanings
a cataloged sample of a plant variety or other organism kept for study or conservation
Beyond the definition
Imagine the moment a prince takes the throne after the death of a king. That formal rise to power is called an accession. It implies officially attaining a high position or dignity. But the word isn't just for royalty. Museums and libraries use it to describe the official act of adding new items to their collections. Whether it involves a person rising to high office or a painting being added to a gallery, accession signals a formal entry into an important role or an official addition to a collection. In diplomacy, it can also describe a country formally becoming a party to a treaty or joining an international organization.
The word accession has a dignified weight to it because it is almost always used in formal settings. Historically, it is most closely tied to the moment a high-ranking figure attains their position—such as the accession of King Charles III to the throne. It emphasizes the act of "coming into" power or a title.
In the world of organization and curation, however, the meaning shifts slightly. Museums, archives, and libraries use accession to describe the rigorous process of officially recording and adding a new item to their holdings. You might hear a curator say, "We have completed the accession of the ancient manuscripts." In this context, the word can even refer to the object itself: "This sculpture is our latest accession."
Finally, in modern news and politics, you will often hear it in relation to international law. It refers to the act of a country formally agreeing to a treaty (often one it did not sign when the treaty was first opened) or joining an international organization, such as a nation's accession to the European Union or NATO.
Less commonly, accession can also mean a general addition or increase—an accession of wealth, strength, or even symptoms (as in an accession of fever). Across all these uses, the core meaning remains the same: a formal act of adding, joining, or coming into a new status or possession.
Examples
- 1
Royal succession
Her accession to the throne came after the sudden death of her father.
- Phraseaccession to the throne
becoming king or queen
- 2
New ruler
The young king's accession was welcomed by people hoping for reform.
- 3
Trade bloc
The country signed the agreement a year before its formal accession to the trade bloc.
- Patternaccession to + organization/treaty/group
formal entry into it
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- enthronement
- inauguration
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- accession to the throne
- accession to power
- accession to office
- date of accession
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- accessionnounverb
Forms
- accessionspluralnounverb
- accessionedpast tenseverbnoun
- accessioning-ing formverbnoun