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 (Archaic)
• 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 (Archaic)
• 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

This latest project takes its name from the address in the swanky 1st arrondissement of Paris where Coco Chanel lived in an iconic apartment above her boutique.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

At least 40 states now suggest schools address the anniversary, but how varies widely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

They are also likely to address major geopolitical developments, with any language on the US is expected to be carefully crafted to avoid confrontation.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

After the Calgary meeting, Zelensky was headed to Banff, a stunning Canadian national park, where he will address a cabinet retreat for Carney's Liberal government.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

And Chip’s address wasn’t typed but written—in firm grown-up handwriting, like a teacher’s.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The researchers say the work addresses a central problem facing the field: efficiently producing and controlling quantum states that are capable of helping correct errors.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

There are many good reasons you may not be allowed to have two homes with two separate postal addresses under local zoning rules.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

Zou committed many of his offences while living at various addresses in London, where he was studying for a PhD, while many others were carried out in China.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Yet all but one was listed for rent during the reporting periods, and some current residents and neighbors at those addresses confirmed that the properties were rented, the news organizations found.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

"We jotted down different addresses on handkerchiefs," Dasch said.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Have you addressed him directly and asked him to participate?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

A 2018 environmental assessment report identified an increase in the frequency and severity of floods as the project’s greatest climate risk, and said design modifications had addressed those concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Sources have said contracts under the previous iteration of LIV Golf will finish because of this court filing, with amounts owed to players and other creditors addressed through the court process.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

In the letter Charles makes clear that the couple's position is "akin to private citizens" and that they should not be addressed as his and her royal highness.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

Sobol subscribes to William Glasser’s Choice Theory: Students will do well if four basic needs are addressed in the educational classroom or performance setting.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Anything like a telegraphic dispatch or express box or the like should be addrest 456 Sixth street, 3rd story, back room.

From The Wound Dresser A Series of Letters Written from the Hospitals in Washington during the War of the Rebellion by Walt Whitman

And as the dews revive the drooping flowers, So let your drops of pity be addrest!

From Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Bullen

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

The talker who cavils at anything that is said stops conversation more than if he answered only yes or no to all remarks addrest to him.

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

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 Francis W. (Francis Whiting) Halsey

The Welsh government said addressing the issue of contaminated land was "a key priority".

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The case went before Carter, who also oversees a six-year-old case in which the city and county are accused of inadequately addressing homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

There are examples of companies ultimately gaining FDA clearance after addressing concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Traders also see tension between the Treasury buyback plan and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's goal of addressing persistent inflation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

Duane froze, uncertain whether the man was addressing him because he was still staring out at the water.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• ZIP code
• home
• location
• number