address

American  

[uh-dres, ad-res, uh-dres] / əˈdrɛs, ˈæd rɛs, əˈdrɛs /

noun

addresses plural

1. a speech or written statement, usually formal, directed to a particular group of persons.

   the president's address on the state of the economy.

   Synonyms:

   lecture, discourse

2. a direction as to the intended recipient, written on or attached to a piece of mail.

3. the place or the name of the place where a person, organization, or the like is located or may be reached.

   What is your address when you're in Des Moines?

4. manner of speaking to persons; personal bearing in conversation.

5. skillful and expeditious management; ready skill; dispatch.

   to handle a matter with address.

   Synonyms:

   tact, ingenuity, cleverness, adroitness

6. Computers.

   1. a label, as an integer, symbol, or other set of characters, designating a location, register, etc., where information is stored in computer memory.

   2. a set of characters designating an email account.

      Her email address ends in “.net,” not “.com.”

   3. a set of characters designating the location of a website or a particular computer or other device on a network.

      He visits that website so often that its complete address comes up whenever he types its first letter into the address bar.

7. Government. a request to the executive by the legislature to remove a judge for unfitness.

8. Usually addresses. attentions paid by a suitor or lover; courtship.

9. Usually Address. the reply to the king's speech in the English Parliament.

10. Obsolete. preparation.

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verb (used with object)

addresses, present (3rd person singular) addressed, past participle, past addrest, past participle, past addressing present participle

1. to direct a speech or written statement to.

   to address an assembly.

2. to use a specified form or title in speaking or writing to.

   Address the president as “Mr. President.”

3. to direct to the attention.

   He addressed his remarks to the lawyers in the audience.

4. to apply in speech (used reflexively, usually followed byto ).

   He addressed himself to the leader.

5. to deal with or discuss.

   to address the issues.

6. to put the directions for delivery on.

   to address a letter.

7. Commerce. to consign or entrust to the care of another, as agent or factor.

8. to direct the energy or efforts of (usually followed byto ).

   He addressed himself to the task.

9. Computers. to direct (data) to a specified memory location in a computer.

10. Golf. to take a stance and place the head of the club behind (the ball) preparatory to hitting it.

11. Obsolete. to woo; court.

12. Archaic. to give direction to; aim.

13. Obsolete. to prepare.

verb (used without object)

Obsolete.

addresses, present (3rd person singular) addressed, past participle, past addrest, past participle, past addressing present participle

1. to make an appeal.

2. to make preparations.

address British  

/ əˈdrɛs /

noun

1. the conventional form by which the location of a building is described

2. the written form of this, as on a letter or parcel, preceded by the name of the person or organization for whom it is intended

3. the place at which someone lives

4. a speech or written communication, esp one of a formal nature

5. skilfulness or tact

6. archaic manner or style of speaking or conversation

7. computing a number giving the location of a piece of stored information See also direct access

8. government a statement of the opinions or wishes of either or both Houses of Parliament that is sent to the sovereign

9. the alignment or position of a part, component, etc, that permits correct assembly or fitting

10. (usually plural) expressions of affection made by a man in courting a woman

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verb

1. to mark (a letter, parcel, etc) with an address

2. to speak to, refer to in speaking, or deliver a speech to

3. (used reflexively; foll by to)

   1. to speak or write to

      he addressed himself to the chairman

   2. to apply oneself to

      he addressed himself to the task

4. to direct (a message, warning, etc) to the attention of

5. to consign or entrust (a ship or a ship's cargo) to a factor, merchant, etc

6. to adopt a position facing (the ball in golf, a partner in a dance, the target in archery, etc)

7. to treat of; deal with

   chapter 10 addresses the problem of transitivity

8. an archaic word for woo

Synonym Usage

See speech.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• addresser
  noun
• addressor
  noun
• preaddress
  noun
• readdress
  verb (used with object)
• half-addressed
  adjective
• unaddressed
  adjective
• well-addressed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• addresses
  plural

Participles

• addressing
  present
• addressed
  past
• addrest
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• address
  simple
• addresses
  simple
• have addressed
  perfect
• have addrest
  perfect
• has addressed
  perfect
• has addrest
  perfect
• am addressing
  progressive
• are addressing
  progressive
• is addressing
  progressive
• have been addressing
  perfect progressive
• has been addressing
  perfect progressive

Past

• addressed
  simple
• addrest
  simple
• had addressed
  perfect
• had addrest
  perfect
• was addressing
  progressive
• were addressing
  progressive
• had been addressing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will address
  simple
• will have addressed
  perfect
• will have addrest
  perfect
• will be addressing
  progressive
• will have been addressing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of address

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English adressen “to adorn,” from Middle French adresser; see a- ⁵, dress

Explanation

When you are a student and you want to address your teacher, it's generally safer to call her Ms. and not address her by her first name, Esmeralda. Address is a word that's long been associated with correspondence — the street number, city, state, and postal code that must be on the front of any envelope if it's going to arrive at its destination. In the digital age, an address has also come to mean the location where you might e-mail your friend pictures of your dog dressed up in a birthday hat. If you wanted to tell that friend about your dog's birthday party in person, you might address her directly. Address to describe a way of speaking is usually reserved for more formal occasions, such as when the President addresses the nation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

address addresses addressed addrest addressing

An increase would create a further puzzle: Warsh hasn’t explained how tighter policy would address the current pressures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Cyber security officer Ritesh Patel was on the Hugging Face call with around 450 others and says the industry is working hard to address the new threat of rogue AI agents.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

County vie for roughly $200 million in federal grants to address homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Since taking office Warsh has repeatedly said the Fed is committed to deliver price stability, and several of his fellow policymakers have spoken vocally about the need to address surging inflation.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

“I have often been discouraged,” Joey said years earlier, when she gave her valedictory address.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

FBI officials confirmed the addresses but did not name the individuals subject to the searches, saying the affidavits for the warrants are under seal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Next, Lee addresses the sell-off in semiconductors and memory stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

The defendants spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Before selling current holdings, they’d have to give seven days of notice, which addresses the concern that lawmakers might quickly off-load assets after receiving some grim briefing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Even though our team had exchanged email addresses during camp, Dad was hogging the laptop for his job search.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

In fact, estates with little or no money can sometimes be the most difficult to administer because debts, creditors and property issues still have to be addressed.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

He told reporters that Israel came up in every town hall he addressed during a bike trip through New Hampshire this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Chiefs coach Andy Reid addressed the matter on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Neso described the report as a "forward-looking" assessment of risks that could become more significant in the 2030s unless addressed.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

When they had all talked a little while in harmony of the weather and Mrs. Weston, she found herself abruptly addressed with,

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Politeness consists, they think, in always saying, "yes, yes," or at most a non-committal "indeed?" to every word addrest to them.

From Conversation What to Say and How to Say it by Conklin, Mary Greer

Her sister she addrest       While treach'rous smiles beguil'd her soul distrest.

From The Fourth Book of Virgil's Aeneid and the Ninth Book of Voltaire's Henriad by Virgil

Then Cæsar addrest himself to his soldiers, when they were at the gates of the camp, ready to march out.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume II (of X) - Rome by Halsey, Francis W. (Francis Whiting)

He, with viny crown advancing, First to the lively pipe his hand addrest; But soon he saw the brisk awak'ning viol, Whose sweet entrancing voice he loved the best.

From English Verse Specimens Illustrating its Principles and History by Alden, Raymond MacDonald

When I had once addrest your Lordship in public, I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland II by Lodge, Henry Cabot

The South African government has rejected the petition as "opportunistic", saying it does not meet the ICC's legal threshold and that its own courts are capable of addressing such cases.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Industries from medical devices to autos have asked the administration for help addressing the shortage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Dr. McCormack said it is essential to create a clear process for incorporating ice sheet model projections into policies addressing sea level rise.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

Speakers take turns addressing crowds while also belting out protest songs and poems.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

“I suggest you look around,” the Director yells, waving his arm over the camp, addressing the internees.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• ZIP code
• home
• location
• number