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

While federal law doesn’t bar prepayment requests for nonemergency services, some states are enacting laws to address aspects of the trend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Walter and team president Stan Kasten decided to address the problem, climbing the narrow stairwell to the top level where they found the fan and listened to his complaint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

What’s even more frustrating is that, when it was first announced, the Met said the exhibition would address the derogatory conduct that fundamentally altered Galliano’s career and reception.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Sometimes, the recruiter’s name is different in the email address compared to the content.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

It did indeed say Jonah Skidmore on the address label, but it wasn’t the type of mail he usually got.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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

It also considers tying wallet addresses to a master securityholder file, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Stolen data experts at HaveIBeenPwned have analysed the published material and confirmed it contains people's email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, licence plate numbers, purchasing history and browsing device data.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Public Works addresses waste left in the public right-of-way on county-maintained roads but can’t work on private property or off road except in conjunction with a code violation and enforcement action, the spokeswoman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Mrs. Haroldson passed around a paper asking for phone numbers and addresses of integration volunteers, and I signed my name, not knowing what the future would bring.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

When she addressed the media for the first time on Thursday, the Spaniard promised brave, attacking football and a desire to dominate possession.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Mr. Damasio’s prose is informal—self-consciously chatty and unaffected, addressed to his “dear reader” and peppered by plenty of exclamation marks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

These systems also make it possible to test questions that cannot be addressed through animal models alone.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

Ohtani has declined requests for comment through a team spokesperson and hasn’t addressed reporters in more than two weeks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

“It’s addressed to me, and there’s no return address,” he said.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The letter here in part given was addrest by Vespucius to Soderini, the Gonfalonier of Florence.

From Great Epochs in American History, Volume I. Voyages Of Discovery And Early Explorations: 1000 A.D.-1682 by Francis W. (Francis Whiting) Halsey

Upon a flower he stapt his flight, And thinking on his former slight, Thus to the Ant himself addrest: 'Pray, Madam, will ye please to rest?

From An Elementary Study of Insects by Leonard Haseman

Marcia, to whom this letter was addrest, was "a respectable and opulent lady," the daughter of Cremutius Cordus.

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

The bishop, finding his entreaties useless, rose and addrest himself to his melancholy mission.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IX (of X) - America - I by Henry Cabot Lodge

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 Mary Greer Conklin

The cameras, Rodriguez said, are particularly helpful for addressing catalytic converter theft, a “mobile, high-volume, low-witness crime” where the vehicle used is often the only lead.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

The next priority is addressing risk by introducing proven, cost-effective therapies early enough to slow the progression of CKD and lower the likelihood of cardiovascular events.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

No clear explanation has been given for the delay in publicly addressing the scandal’s effect on recruitment efforts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

“We believe we are in the early innings of addressing a large and expanding market opportunity that begins with wearables and extends into preventative healthcare,” Oura said in the filing.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Not just allowing me to be a part of the conversation, but actually addressing me.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• ZIP code
• home
• location
• number