What does annexure mean?
'Annexure' is a noun denoting a document, schedule, or set of particulars formally attached to a principal document, thereby becoming part of it. The word is especially prevalent in South Asian and South African English, where contracts, affidavits, court filings, and government reports routinely refer to items as 'Annexure A', 'Annexure B', and so forth; in American English, the equivalent role is usually filled by 'attachment', 'exhibit', or 'appendix'. The term conveys formality and precision: an annexure is not merely loose material tucked behind a report but content expressly incorporated by reference into the main instrument. Derived ultimately from Latin roots meaning 'to tie or bind' — the same root that gives us 'annex' and 'nexus' — the word reflects the idea of fastening supplementary matter to a core text. For readers working with international legal or administrative documents, recognising 'annexure' and its regional conventions is practically useful, since misreading an annexure as peripheral can mean missing terms that are legally binding.
nounA document, schedule, or appendix attached to and forming part of a main document, such as a contract, report, or legal filing.
- A supplementary document, schedule, or table formally attached to a principal document such as a contract, affidavit, or report.
- By extension, any appendix or enclosure accompanying official correspondence or filings.
"The full list of assets is set out in Annexure A to the agreement."
"Please sign each page of the annexure before submitting the affidavit."
"The tender submission included three annexures detailing technical specifications."
Standard plural; used when a document has several attached schedules or appendices.
"The contract comprises twelve pages and four annexures."
In Indian legal drafting, 'Annexure A' is so ubiquitous that whole contracts are essentially stitched together from annexures — the main text is often just the frame around them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of annexure
'Annexure' derives from the Latin verb 'annectere', meaning 'to tie or fasten to', via the same root that produced 'annex' and 'annexation'. The noun took shape in English through the notion of something bound or attached to a larger whole, first applied broadly to things added on and later narrowing in South Asian and South African usage to documents appended to a main text. Its closest relatives include 'annex', 'annexation', and, more distantly, words like 'connect' and 'nexus' from the Latin root for binding together.
Related word forms
How annexure is actually used
'Annexure' is standard in Indian, Pakistani, and South African legal and administrative English, where 'appendix' or 'exhibit' would typically be used in American English. It carries a formal, bureaucratic register and is rarely used in casual speech outside these regions.
Easily confused with annexure
An 'annex' is an addition to a building or territory acquired by a state, whereas an 'annexure' is specifically a document appended to another document.