address
verb/əˈdres/
/əˈdres/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they address | /əˈdres/ /əˈdres/ |
| he / she / it addresses | /əˈdresɪz/ /əˈdresɪz/ |
| past simple addressed | /əˈdrest/ /əˈdrest/ |
| past participle addressed | /əˈdrest/ /əˈdrest/ |
| -ing form addressing | /əˈdresɪŋ/ /əˈdresɪŋ/ |
- (formal) to think about a problem or a situation and decide how you are going to deal with it
- address something Your essay does not address the real issues.
- to address a problem/concern/question
- The policy fails to address the needs of people on low incomes.
- address yourself to something We must address ourselves to the problem of traffic pollution.
Extra Examples- She calls for the use of green technologies to address the challenges of climate change.
- The authors of the book address themselves to the question of unemployment.
- The labour movement has always addressed issues of the quality of life.
- These concerns were not adequately addressed in the report.
- the problems we are seeking to address
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- directly
- explicitly
- specifically
- …
- seek to
- fail to
- address yourself to something
Definitions on the go
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- [often passive] to write on an envelope, etc. the name and address of the person, company, etc. that you are sending it to by mail
- be addressed The letter was correctly addressed, but delivered to the wrong house.
- address something (to somebody/something) Address your application to the General Manager.
Extra Examples- Please send a stamped addressed envelope and we will send you a copy of our brochure.
- The minister did not reply to my letter although I addressed it to him personally.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- correctly
- properly
- personally
- …
- to
- to make a formal speech to a group of people
- to address a meeting/conference
- The President has been asked to address the assembly.
- (formal) to say something directly to somebody
- address somebody I was surprised when he addressed me in English.
- address something to somebody Any questions should be addressed to your teacher.
- The book is addressed to the general reader.
Extra Examples- He addressed his comments to the chairman.
- She never addressed him directly.
- All remarks have to be addressed to the chair.
- The message was specifically addressed to the younger generation.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- by name
- directly
- to
- to use a particular name or title for somebody when you speak or write to them
- address somebody There are different ways in which to address a member of the royal family.
- address somebody as something The judge should be addressed as ‘Your Honour’.
- address somebody by something She did not address him by name.
Extra Examples- How should I address her?
- Please address my client by his full name, Mr Babic.
Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb in the senses ‘set upright’ and ‘guide, direct’, hence ‘write directions for delivery on’ and ‘direct spoken words to’): from Old French, based on Latin ad- ‘towards’ + directus past participle of dirigere, from di- ‘distinctly’ or de- ‘down’ + regere ‘put straight’. The noun is of mid 16th-cent. origin in the sense ‘act of approaching or speaking to somebody’.
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address