address

verb ad·dress \ ə-ˈdres , a- also ˈa-ˌdres \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: address in a Sentence

Definition of address

addressed; addressing; addresses

transitive verb

1 a : to mark directions for delivery on

address a letter

b : to consign to the care of another (such as an agent or factor)

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 a : to communicate directly

addresses his thanks to his host

b : to speak or write directly to; especially : to deliver a formal speech to

The president will address the nation by television.

4 : to greet by a prescribed form

how to address an archbishop

5 golf : to adjust the club and one's stance preparatory to hitting (the ball)

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

7 archaic

a : direct, aim

b : to direct to go : send

8 archaic : to make ready; especially : dress

intransitive verb

obsolete : to direct one's speech or attentions

—

addresser

noun

See address defined for English-language learners

See address defined for kids

Examples of address in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of address from the Web

To combat them, addressing mental health goals in tandem with physical goals is essential.

— karen s. lynch, STAT, "Everyone deserves a holistic, patient-centric health care system," 12 July 2018
The West Midlands side conceded 56 times in the Premier League during their 2017/18 campaign, and appear to be addressing their need to shore up the back line with the signing of Bartley.

— SI.com, "West Brom Close to Securing £4m Deal for Swansea's Kyle Bartley to Address Defensive Concerns," 12 July 2018
But part of his legacy was evident in the way the department addressed the Safeway fire, officials said.

— nathan j. fish, azcentral, "Lessons from Phoenix firefighter's 2001 death influenced way crews handled Safeway fire," 12 July 2018
Concerns were raised about traffic and access by fire crews, issues McNamara said will be addressed as plans for the acreage progress.

— steve dreyer, Pomerado News, "'Agritopia'-inspired development in works for StoneRidge?," 12 July 2018
Using heavily coded language, Serena and Naomi Putnam (Ever Carradine) address their doubts regarding Gilead’s lack of opportunity for young women.

— refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Recap Season 2, Episode 13: The Martha Express," 11 July 2018
Evaluating the wisdom of that funding formula, and addressing questions about whether control of the PPA should revert from the state to the city, will not be among the audit’s goals, Rhynhart said.

— jason laughlin, Philly.com, "Philly's controller to audit PPA's parking enforcement," 11 July 2018
The two studies provide further evidence that addressing causes of acid rain helped the species recover, said Timothy Fahey, a forest ecologist and professor at Cornell University.

— lisa rathke, The Christian Science Monitor, "Pollution regulations decrease acid rain, spur red spruce rebound," 11 July 2018
Ledford says his restoration will address some of this environmental legacy, but is prioritizing another lingering post-mining problem: financial distress.

— leslie nemo, Scientific American, "From Defiled to Wild—Can a Spent Coal Mine Be Reborn as a Nature Conservation Center?," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'address.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of address

Middle English adressen "to guide, direct, set in order, mark with a destination," borrowed from Anglo-French adrescer, adresser "to make straight, direct, guide," from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + drescer, dresser "to direct, put right" — more at ¹dress

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

See Words from the same year

address Synonyms

Phrases

get cracking, get one's act together, get with it, turn one's hand (or turn a hand);

address

noun ad·dress \ ə-ˈdres , for senses 1, 2, & 3 also ˈa-ˌdres \

Definition of address

1 a : a place where a person or organization may be communicated with

asked for her name, address, and phone number

b : directions for delivery on the outside of an object (such as a letter or package)

an envelope with an illegible address

c : the designation of place of delivery placed between the heading and salutation on a business letter

d : the designation of an account from which one can send or receive e-mail

an e-mail address

2 a : a location (as in the memory of a computer) where particular information is stored

b : a series of usually alphanumeric characters that specifies the storage location (as on a network or in a computer's memory) of particular information

an Internet address

A unique number called an IP address identifies every computer that's connected to the Internet. An IP address looks something like this: 24.62.89.4. Each of the four parts of an IP address can have from one to three digits.
—Kim Komando

3 : a formal communication; especially : a prepared speech delivered to a special audience or on a special occasion

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

4 : dutiful and courteous attention especially in courtship —usually used in plural

She spurned his addresses.

"Here is a young man wishing to pay his addresses to you, with everything to recommend him."
—Jane Austen

5 a : readiness and capability for dealing (as with a person or problem) skillfully and smoothly : adroitness

b obsolete : a making ready; also : a state of preparedness

6 a : manner of bearing oneself

a man of rude address

b : manner of speaking or singing : delivery

was pleased with the tenor's ease of address

7 golf : the stance of the player and the position of the club preparatory to hitting the ball

See address defined for English-language learners

Examples of address in a Sentence

Write your name, address, and phone number in the spaces provided.
We listened to the President's inaugural address on the radio.
She was asked to give a formal address at the ceremony.

Recent Examples of address from the Web

Here's how In order to take advantage of the one-day deal, an adult had to enroll in the free Build-a-Bear Bonus Club rewards program by creating an account and providing an email address.

— sonja haller, ajc, "How to get your $15 voucher after the failed Pay Your Age event at Build-a-Bear," 13 July 2018
For decades, Silicon Valley startups have benefited from an address synonymous with innovation.

— natasha mascarenhas, SFChronicle.com, "The new Silicon Valley has cable cars and an orange bridge," 12 July 2018
This week, Unsubmissive France, a far-left party whose deputies boycotted the president’s address to Congress, ran a social-media campaign against him under the hashtag #MacronMonarc.

— The Economist, "Emmanuel Macron’s popularity hits a new low," 12 July 2018
An extension for Google’s Chrome browser called Grouply.io was specifically made to allow third parties to collect names, locations, email addresses, employers, and other personal data from Facebook groups, according to a report from CNBC.

— brittany shoot, Fortune, "Facebook Closes Loophole That Revealed Personal Data of People in 'Closed' Groups," 12 July 2018
The one room schoolhouse does not have an address, however, 22 Kahn Road is a neighboring property.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Putnam-Killingly Edition," 10 July 2018
That evening, the indictment says, the Russians attempted to break into email accounts used by Clinton's personal office, along with 76 Clinton campaign email addresses.

— CBS News, "Trump responds to Russian hacking indictment by blaming Obama administration," 14 July 2018
In the weeks before Trump's inauguration, May sent Trump a copy of the text of Churchill's 1941 Christmas Eve radio address to Americans, delivered while the prime minister was staying with Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor.

— Fox News, "Trump pays tribute to Churchill amid strains on US-UK ties," 13 July 2018
Last fall a donor gave Indiana University a five-bedroom house on nearly 7 acres with a toney Sunset Lane address.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "These donors love their alma maters so much they gave them the roofs over their heads," 13 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of address

in part derivative of ¹address, in part borrowed from Middle French adresce, adresse, noun derivative of adrescer, adresser

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1539

in the meaning defined at sense 4

See Words from the same year

address Synonyms

Synonyms

actions, bearing, behavior, comportment, conduct, demeanor, deportment;

p's and q's;

amenity, civility, courtesy, decorum, politeness;

air, attitude, carriage, poise, pose, posture, presence;

aspect, look, mien;

formality, protocol, rules;

custom, habit, habitude, pattern, practice (also practise), trick, wont;

convention, fashion, form, mode, style;

affectation, attribute, characteristic, mark, trait;

distinctiveness, oddity, peculiarity, singularity, strangeness, uniqueness, weirdness;

Synonym Discussion of address

tact, address, poise, savoir faire mean skill and grace in dealing with others. tact implies delicate and considerate perception of what is appropriate.

- questions showing a lack of tact

address stresses dexterity and grace in dealing with new and trying situations and may imply success in attaining one's ends.

- brought it off with remarkable address

poise may imply both tact and address but stresses self-possession and ease in meeting difficult situations.

- answered the accusations with unruffled poise

savoir faire is likely to stress worldly experience and a sure awareness of what is proper or expedient.

- the savoir faire of a seasoned traveler

ADDRESS Defined for English Language Learners

address

verb

Definition of address for English Language Learners

: to write on an envelope, package, letter, etc., the name and address of the person or business it is being sent to
: to speak to (a person or group)
: to use a specified name or title when speaking or writing to (someone)

address

noun

Definition of address for English Language Learners

: the words and numbers that are used to describe the location of a building and that are written on letters, envelopes, and packages so that they can be mailed to that location
: the letters, numbers, and symbols that are used to direct an e-mail message or to show the location of a site on the Internet
: a formal speech

ADDRESS Defined for Kids

address

verb ad·dress \ ə-ˈdres \

Definition of address for Students

addressed; addressing

1 : to put directions for delivery on

address a letter

2 : to speak or write to

Bleakly, Roy looked up to address the grownups.
—Carl Hiaasen, Hoot

3 : to use a specified name or title when speaking or writing to (someone)

The children address me as “sir.”

4 : to deal with : give attention to

address a problem

address

noun ad·dress \ ə-ˈdres , ˈa-ˌdres \

Definition of address for Students

1 : the place where a person can usually be reached

a business address

2 : the directions for delivery placed on mail

3 : the symbols (as numerals or letters) that identify the location where particular information (as a home page) is stored on a computer especially on the Internet

4 : a formal speech