# accession

/əkˈsɛʃən/ (US) · /ɐksˈɛʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/accession
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. taking a throne or office

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the moment someone officially becomes a king, queen, or leader.

For teachers: the formal act of attaining a position of high rank, such as a throne or a supreme office.

- The country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.
- Historians often debate whether his accession to the leadership was a result of popular support or clever political maneuvering.

Usage: Often followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 2. joining an organization

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the act of a country or group joining an international agreement or organization.

For teachers: the formal process by which a state or power becomes a party to an existing treaty or international body.

- The government is preparing the final documents for the country's accession to the European Union.
- The treaty's accession clause allows any sovereign state to join provided they meet the specific economic and human rights criteria.

Usage: Commonly used in the context of international law and diplomacy.

### 3. an addition to a collection

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

a new item that is added to a library, museum, or gallery.

For teachers: an object or group of objects added to a permanent collection, such as in a museum or archive.

- The museum's latest accession is a rare painting from the 17th century.
- The library staff spent weeks cataloging the new accessions received from the private estate of the late professor.

Teaching tip: In museum contexts, the opposite process of removing an item is called 'deaccessioning'.

### 4. medical fit or attack

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

the start of a sudden illness or a medical attack.

For teachers: the onset or commencement of a disease, or a sudden fit or paroxysm.

- The patient suffered a sudden accession of fever during the night.
- The physician noted a rapid accession of symptoms that suggested the infection was spreading faster than anticipated.

Teaching tip: This sense is rare in modern general English and is mostly found in older medical texts.

### 5. to record an addition

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to record a new item in a museum or library's official list.

For teachers: to officially record an addition to a collection, typically assigning it a unique identification number.

- The archive needs to accession these old letters before they can be studied.
- The curator must accession every artifact immediately upon arrival to ensure the legal chain of custody is maintained.

## Examples

- The country's accession to the union took years.
- Her accession to the throne marked the end of a long royal transition.
- The accession of new members to the trade bloc required complex negotiations on tariffs and border controls.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.