unaddressed
Britishadjective
Explanation
If a postcard is unaddressed, it means you forgot to write the recipient's mailing address on it. But if an issue or question is unaddressed, it hasn't been dealt with. When a politician speaks in public and manages to avoid answering the most important questions reporters ask, those issues remain unaddressed. And if you stay after school for extra math help but leave still not understanding what a polynomial is, your questions are unaddressed. This meaning of unaddressed comes from the verb address in the sense of "acknowledge and deal with something."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first thing to check on any vehicle you’re eyeballing is its unaddressed recalls, especially if they’re related to the vehicle’s battery or electronics.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
“For months there were serious problems that repeatedly went unaddressed despite my efforts to have them fixed,” he alleged.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
"It's one of those things that has been left unaddressed for a long time," he said.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
He said: "Someone may feel temporary relief from pain, anxiety or insomnia, but the root cause remains unaddressed."
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026
She leans over to her handbag and pulls out a rectangular white envelope, unaddressed and unsealed.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
