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.

---

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

---

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

Lord Woolley told the BBC's Broadcasting House programme on Sunday he and a number of close friends had met Arday on Monday, four days before he was found dead at a south London address.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

However, Fitch in its downgrade of Delaware Life said the plan may prove “insufficient to fully address governance, reporting, and investment oversight issues.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Hot, jet lagged and lost, they started complaining about how they had managed to get the wrong address.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

The team says the findings support taking immediate steps to address access to sodium nitrite and the circulation of harmful information online.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

“This is not the time for an overreaction, Gingersnipes,” Clare said, then turned to address their new company.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Even the public versions, which political parties and candidates routinely obtain to target ads and messages, included voters’ addresses, birth dates and party affiliations.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Police have arrested a man as part of an inquiry into how the addresses of asylum seekers were shared during disorder linked to anti-immigration protests in a town, the BBC can reveal.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Huang says the new funding structure addresses concerns about circular financing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

He described the expansion as “a shovel-ready project that addresses a clear need for access to care and expanded emergency services.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Alex was reading the addresses, but they told him nothing.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

During his first speech outside No. 10 Downing Street, Burnham addressed a crowd including teenage influencers invited because they make TikTok clips about Labour politics.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

And those are queries that must be addressed because, whether we like it or not, even dystopian rom-coms might point us in the right — or even new — direction.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

They discussed how a "difficulty in attracting high calibre and younger candidates is an issue that needs addressed" adding that the "salary is not attractive".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Segura said Pazsitzky’s episode happened to be the first after TMZ caught wind that the pair had split, so she addressed it first.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

That night, sitting beside a large map of Southeast Asia, Nixon addressed the nation.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

A smile of kind, parental love confest Her glowing son whom now she thus addrest.

From Lays of Ancient Virginia, and Other Poems by James Avis Bartley

They felt, too, the superiority of character which addrest all men with a native authority.

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

And this good knight his way with me addrest.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Noah Webster

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

It was addrest to Louis de Santangel, the treasurer of King Ferdinand of Spain.

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

Before addressing that question, however, they first needed to determine whether immune cells from the blood truly could replenish microglia in the brain.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

But when tragic exceptions become the foundation of public policy, we create unintended consequences far more damaging than addressing those exceptions directly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Strengthening the surrounding muscle and addressing the inflammation in the area should help stabilize and take pressure off the inside of his elbow.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

VA mental health staff have developed deep expertise in addressing the particular needs of vets.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

She thought just to sweep away, but the shock of his addressing her directly was lost in that intriguing question.

From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman

Related Words

• ZIP code
• home
• location
• number