address

verb

ad·​dress ə-ˈdres 

a-

also ˈa-ˌdres

addressed; addressing; addresses

transitive verb

1

a

: to deal with or give attention to

address a problem

address the community's needs

She held a meeting to address our concerns.

Scientists … have been working for years to address the decline of coral reef populations.

—David Fischer

b

: to direct the efforts or attention of (oneself)

will address himself to the problem

2

a

: to mark directions for delivery on

address a letter

… knowing how to address an envelope properly is a skill everyone should have …

—Majesty Henry

b

dated : to consign (a ship) to the care of another (such as an agent or factor)

3

a

: to communicate directly

addressed her thanks to their host

b

: to speak or write directly to

especially : to deliver a formal speech to

The president will address the nation from the Oval Office.

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)

… he … returned to his ball and addressed it to play his third shot.

—Alan Bastable

6

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

… allows the system to address the memory board as if it were a disk …

—Business Wire

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

Synonyms of address

• handle
• manage
• manipulate
• treat
• take
• negotiate

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 on the Web

The lawsuit filed in 2022 alleged that Tyco, a subsidiary of Johnson Controls, had contaminated the area around a firefighting training center since the 1960s and did not do enough to address it. —ABC News, 4 June 2026

Yes, lenders will require that major safety problems be addressed prior to closing. —Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

Under the direction of two interim CEOs, CFO Frank and Chief Commercial Officer André Maestrini, Lululemon has been working to rebuild its product assortment and address its domestic growth challenge. —Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 4 June 2026

Year after year, city leaders balance budgets without meaningfully addressing the underlying debt and pension challenges. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

Phrases Containing address

• address book
• form/term of address
• forwarding address
• inside address
• IP address
• keynote address
• mailing address
• postal address
• public address announcer
• public-address system
• return address
• State of the Union address

Rhymes for address

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess
• express

Kids Definition

address

1 of 2 verb

ad·​dress ə-ˈdres 

a-

1

a

: to direct the attention of oneself

addressed themselves to the problem

b

: to deal with

prepares to address the problem

2

a

: to communicate directly

address a petition to the governor

b

: to deliver a formal speech to

address the convention

3

: to mark directions for delivery on

address a letter

4

: to greet by a prescribed form

5

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

addresser noun

address

2 of 2 noun

ad·​dress ə-ˈdres 

ˈad-ˌres

1

: manner of speaking : delivery

2

: a rehearsed speech

3

a

: a place where a person or organization can usually be reached

b

: the directions for delivery on mail

4

a

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

b

: a series of symbols (as numerals or letters) that identifies the location of information in a computer's memory or on the Internet or that specifies the source or destination of an email message