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

Alongside messages addressing shame and resilience. — Krystin Arneson, Glamour, "Everything Khloé Kardashian Has Said About the Tristan Thompson Cheating Scandal," 17 Mar. 2019 Fans had mixed reactions about how Wendy addressed her absence and rumors. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "'Wendy Williams Show' Fans Have Mixed Reactions to Her Comeback Show," 4 Mar. 2019 Of the 190 participants, 10 are religious sisters representing orders in the summit, and three women will address the meeting. — Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, "Pope strives to fight cleric sex abuse with Vatican summit," 20 Feb. 2019 President Trump addressed criticisms by the parents of Otto Warmbier over his negotiations with North Korea, in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md., on Saturday. — Rebecca Ballhaus, WSJ, "Trump Says He Was in a ‘Horrible Position’ Between Negotiating With Kim, Warmbier’s Death," 2 Mar. 2019 May addressed reporters outside 10 Downing Street after the vote. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "British Prime Minister Theresa May survives no-confidence vote," 12 Dec. 2018 The pieces frequently addressed the pitfalls of mass production, railed against the environmental effects of consumerism, and challenged normative forms. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "The most bizarre and brilliant projects from a Dutch design fair," 5 Nov. 2018 Having a knack for architecture and materials helps Arps address some of the pitfalls—specifically, noise—that come with the open floorplans young companies prefer. — Emma Bazilian, House Beautiful, "Dani Arps Knows How To Design Rooms That Help You Get Things Done," 11 Feb. 2019 Roughly a half of the exhibition focuses on how MoMA addressed this whole international movement of good design. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "The Museum of Modern Art's Upcoming 'Value of Good Design' Exhibit is Not One to Miss," 7 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Photo composite: Heather Seidel/The Wall Street Journal Emergency call centers sometimes have a hard time pinpointing an address when a person dials 911 from their cellphone. — Sarah Krouse, WSJ, "FCC Tackles 911 Dilemma: What Floor Are You Calling From?," 15 Mar. 2019 Heaven on earth finally has an address: 611 5th Avenue, New York City. — Diana Nguyen, Harper's BAZAAR, "You Can Only Buy These Handbags at Saks—And WE WANT THEM ALL," 8 Mar. 2019 The Trump administration made its stance on restricting reproductive rights very clear during last night's State of the Union address. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "What President Trump Got Wrong About Abortion in His State of the Union Address," 6 Feb. 2019 Companies that wish to join the consortium can do so at VirtualLink.org, which for right now resolves to a Google Sites address. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Virtual reality giants unveil VirtualLink as a standardized cable that may simplify VR rigs," 17 July 2018 Burbey gave what amounted to a farewell address to the school board during the public comment period early in the June 11 meeting. — Allan Vought, The Aegis, "Moving back to classroom, Harford teachers union leader steps down," 6 July 2018 But in this context, the story of the new hot turtle in town feels like a subtle address of the fact that the show totally recast Carol in this episode. — Vanessa Golembewski, Glamour, "Have You Noticed They're Always Reading on Friends? Yes, Even Joey," 2 July 2018 The officials ended the call abruptly after questions from only three reporters and referred other questions to a media email address. — Jennifer Epstein, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Policy Sows Confusion and Anxiety Across the Mexican Border," 28 June 2018 Wouldn't the very famous Property Brothers at least have their own domain name in their email address? — Kaitlin Menza, House Beautiful, "There's A Property Brothers Scam Circulating On The Internet," 25 Jan. 2019

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

22 Mar 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