English Reference
verb · noun

addressing

v. · n.
US /əˈdɹɛsɪŋ/ UK /ɐdɹˈɛsɪŋ/ ad·dress·ing

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.trying to solve or deal with a difficult situation.

    v.directing one's attention or efforts toward a specific problem or task. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the issue.

    Simple

    The government is finally addressing the issue of rising house prices.

    In context

    By addressing the structural weaknesses in the bridge now, the engineers hope to avoid a much more expensive reconstruction project in the future.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    v.speaking directly to a person or a large group of people.

    v.delivering a formal speech to an audience or speaking directly to a specific individual.

    Simple

    She was nervous about addressing the large crowd at the conference.

    In context

    The CEO spent the morning addressing the shareholders, carefully explaining the reasons behind the recent merger.

    speaking tolecturing
  3. 03 B1 Intermediate

    n.the act of writing a name and location on an envelope or package.

    n.the process of inscribing a destination and recipient on a piece of mail.

    Simple

    The addressing of the wedding invitations took several hours.

    In context

    Automated sorting machines rely on clear addressing to ensure that letters reach their intended destinations without delay.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    n.the way a computer finds and uses information stored in its memory.

    n.the method or system used to identify and access specific locations within a computer's storage or memory space.

    Simple

    The system uses 64-bit addressing to handle large amounts of data.

    In context

    The transition to a new addressing scheme allowed the operating system to manage significantly more physical memory than the previous version.

Addressing concerns over system accuracy, Facewatch said its 99.98% figure is based on live retail testing using a dual-algorithm check and review by human analysts.

BBC News· 17 Aug 2026

He’s an unlikely candidate to be addressing us all in a cellar at an arts festival.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated