address

verb

ad·dress | \ ə-ˈdres

, a- also ˈa-ˌdres\

addressed; addressing; addresses

Definition of address

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to mark directions for delivery on address a letter

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

2a : 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

3a : 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

address

noun

ad·dress | \ ə-ˈdres

, for senses 1, 2, & 3 also ˈa-ˌdres\

Definition of address (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : 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

5a : 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

6a : 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

Other Words from address Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about address

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Choose the Right Synonym for address

Noun

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

Examples of address in a Sentence

Verb

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.

Noun

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 on the Web: Verb

All five members of the Federal Trade Commission told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that Congress should pass a law addressing data privacy. — Ryan Tracy And John D. Mckinnon, WSJ, "Lawmakers Differ on Remedies for Facebook Privacy Breach," 8 May 2019 Turn on the news and look no further than how Rep. Ilhan Omar has been treated — from receiving a hateful note at the Capitol, to addressing Islamophobia head on. — Nadra Widatalla, Teen Vogue, "Why Ramadan Is Important to Me in an Islamophobic America," 7 May 2019 Stryker Dragoon is an example of the Army quickly addressing an urgent need from the field, developing the new gun and turret and testing it over a period of about two and a half years. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Army is Upgrading the Stryker Armored Vehicle With a Bigger Gun," 3 May 2019 In the season five finale, his failure to engage in politics (or address the concerns the men of the Night’s Watch have about letting the wildlings through the wall) quite literally gets him killed. — Sarah Morse, Glamour, "Jon Snow's Biggest Mistakes on Game of Thrones," 30 Apr. 2019 Now, with the launch of Casper Labs, the company has applied its sleep science expertise toward addressing a major factor that gets in the way of good night's sleep—light. — Maya Mcdowell, House Beautiful, "The New Casper Glow Is a Light Designed to Help You Fall Asleep," 29 Jan. 2019 Hailey Bieber has been working overtime to address her critics, and unlike her, haters don't seem to take a vacation. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Hailey Bieber Claps Back at Critics Who Called Her "Too Tan”," 29 Apr. 2019 In his first public remarks since the release of Mr. Mueller’s report, Mr. Rosenstein criticized the Obama administration as being slow to publicly address Russia’s efforts to undermine U.S. elections and slammed former FBI... — Sadie Gurman, WSJ, "Rosenstein Takes Aim at Critics, Defends Role in Mueller Investigation," 26 Apr. 2019 Of course, this awkward encounter forces Meredith to address her relationship status with DeLuca. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Grey's Anatomy' Fans Are EXPLODING Over What Happened With Jo and Alex," 19 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and some credit card numbers were stolen by hackers. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "The FTC’s top consumer protection official can’t go after Facebook — or 100 other companies," 6 Dec. 2018 Prabhakar’s team buys customer addresses and demographic information from the United States Postal Service and third party providers like your credit card company. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "Why so many hip startups advertise with snail mail," 1 Nov. 2018 The information, which supposedly included home addresses and phone numbers, was posted - or doxxed - on the senators’ respective Wikipedia pages, where users are allowed to update the information at any time. — Lukas Mikelionis, Fox News, "Republican senators doxxed on Wikipedia by someone from House of Representatives after Kavanaugh hearing," 28 Sep. 2018 To take part, however, parents or guardians had to enroll in a no-cost Build-A-Bear Bonus Club rewards program by giving the retailer a valid email address and name. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, "Build-A-Bear mayhem: Company cancels "Pay Your Age" sale amid massive crowds, safety concerns," 12 July 2018 The third party, not identified by the company, was able to access consumer information including names, phone numbers, addresses and credit and debit card numbers, Macy’s said. — Alex Soderstrom, ajc, "Macy’s says hackers accessed customer credit card information," 12 July 2018 Cleaver said his cellphone number, home address and Social Security number were leaked after the Kremlin hacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016. — Edward Mckinley, kansascity, "As Trump pushes to privatize the troubled Postal Service, others push back," 5 July 2018 Anonymous people unhappy with the story found Kausch’s college grade point average and her little sister’s school address and published them online. — Washington Post, "Journalists struggle to keep online threats from escalating," 3 July 2018 The address and directions will be provided upon completion of your ticket purchase. — Michelle Jenkins, idahostatesman, "Big July Calendar: Month is lit with fireworks, comic con and the Canyon County Fair," 28 June 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.

History and Etymology for address

Verb

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 dress entry 1

Noun

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

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Dictionary Entries near address

Statistics for address

Last Updated

17 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for address

The first known use of address was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for address

address

verb

English Language Learners Definition of address

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

English Language Learners Definition of address (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

See the full definition for address in the English Language Learners Dictionary

address

verb

ad·dress | \ ə-ˈdres

addressed; addressing

Kids Definition of address

(Entry 1 of 2)

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\

Kids Definition of address (Entry 2 of 2)

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 The president will give an address at the ceremony.

5 : the name of a computer account from which e-mail can be sent or received