# addressing

/əˈdɹɛsɪŋ/ (US) · /ɐdɹˈɛsɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/addressing
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. dealing with a problem

verb · CEFR B2

trying to solve or deal with a difficult situation.

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

- The government is finally addressing the issue of rising house prices.
- By addressing the structural weaknesses in the bridge now, the engineers hope to avoid a much more expensive reconstruction project in the future.

### 2. speaking to a group

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

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

For teachers: delivering a formal speech to an audience or speaking directly to a specific individual.

- She was nervous about addressing the large crowd at the conference.
- The CEO spent the morning addressing the shareholders, carefully explaining the reasons behind the recent merger.

### 3. writing a location

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: the process of inscribing a destination and recipient on a piece of mail.

- The addressing of the wedding invitations took several hours.
- Automated sorting machines rely on clear addressing to ensure that letters reach their intended destinations without delay.

### 4. finding data

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- The system uses 64-bit addressing to handle large amounts of data.
- The transition to a new addressing scheme allowed the operating system to manage significantly more physical memory than the previous version.

## Examples

- We are addressing the technical issues now.
- The manager spent the entire morning addressing the concerns raised by the staff during yesterday's meeting.
- By addressing the root causes of the systemic failure rather than merely treating the symptoms, the committee hoped to implement a sustainable long-term solution.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.