address

noun

Direction.

A manner of speaking or writing to another; language, style.

(diplomacy, politics) A formal approach to a sovereign or head of state, especially an official appeal or petition.

(Commonwealth, politics) A response given by each of the Houses of Parliament to the sovereign's speech at the opening of Parliament.

An act of addressing oneself to a person or group; a discourse or speech, or a record of this.

A description of the location of a property, usually with at least a street name and number, name of a town, and now also a postal code; such a description as superscribed for direction on an envelope or letter.

The location of a property.

(computing) A number identifying a specific storage location in computer memory.

(networking, Internet) A string of characters identifying a node or range of nodes on a network (especially the Internet), such as an e-mail address, IP address or URL.

Preparation.

(golf, Scotland) The act of bringing the head of the club up to the ball in preparation for swinging.

(obsolete) Guidance; help.

(chiefly in the plural, now archaic) A polite approach made to another person, especially of a romantic nature; an amorous advance.

(now rare) Preparedness for some task; resourcefulness; skill, ability.

(obsolete) The act of getting ready; preparation.

verb

(transitive, reflexive) To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.

(reflexive) To direct one’s remarks (to someone).

(transitive) To direct, as words (to anyone or anything); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any audience).

(transitive) To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to.

(transitive) To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit.

(transitive) To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.

(transitive) To consign or entrust to the care of another, as agent or factor.

(transitive) To address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech, discourse or efforts to.

(transitive, formal) To direct attention towards a problem or obstacle, in an attempt to resolve it.

(transitive, computing) To refer to a location in computer memory.

(transitive, golf, Scotland) To get ready to hit (the ball on the tee).

(intransitive, obsolete) To prepare oneself.

(intransitive, obsolete) To direct speech.

(transitive, obsolete) To aim; to direct.

(transitive, obsolete) To prepare or make ready.

(transitive, archaic) To clothe or array; to dress.

Roots

directus-dress · Latin · straight, right

Synonyms for address

accostv superscribev speechn speakv apostrophizev destinationn superscriptionn directadj answern salutatoryn locationn speechifyv

Synonyms & related words for address

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of address — including accost, superscribe, speech, speak, apostrophize, destination. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to address

Explore words related to address — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include misaddress, unaddressed, readdress, addressee, call, email, apopemptic, message. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for address

Common synonyms for address include accost, superscribe, speech, speak, apostrophize, destination, superscription, direct — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does address come from?

The word address breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -dress, from Latin directus (“straight, right”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.