address

¹ad·dress

verb \ə-ˈdres, a- also ˈa-ˌdres\

Definition of ADDRESS

transitive verb

1

archaic a : direct, aim b : to direct to go : send

2

a : to direct the efforts or attention of (oneself) <will address himself to the problem> b : to deal with : treat <intrigued by the chance to address important issues — I. L. Horowitz>

3

archaic : to make ready; especially : dress

4

a : to communicate directly <addresses his thanks to his host> b : to speak or write directly to; especially : to deliver a formal speech to

5

a : to mark directions for delivery on <address a letter> b : to consign to the care of another (as an agent or factor)

6

: to greet by a prescribed form

7

: to adjust the club preparatory to hitting (a golf ball)

8

: to identify (as a computer peripheral or memory location) by an address or a name for information transfer

intransitive verb

obsolete : to direct one's speech or attentions

— ad·dress·er noun

Examples of ADDRESS

1. I've addressed the letter, but it still needs a stamp.
2. The package is sealed; it just needs to be addressed.
3. We spent the afternoon addressing invitations to all our friends.
4. The letter was returned because it had been addressed incorrectly.
5. She ignored most of the people at the table, addressing only the man who was sitting next to her.
6. One of the characters addresses the audience directly throughout the play.
7. Most of the speaker's remarks were addressed to those with experience in the industry.
8. Before the awards were given, the mayor addressed the crowd.

Origin of ADDRESS

Middle English adressen, from Anglo-French adrescer, from a- (from Latin ad-) + drescer to direct, put right — more at dress

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ADDRESS

Synonyms: handle, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, take, treat

Related Words: engineer, finesse, jockey; bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull; command, direct, guide, steer; control, micromanage, regulate, run; react (to), respond (to)

Near Antonyms: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with ADDRESS

abscess, access, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, excess, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress