Address

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /əˈdɹɛs/

Definitions

1. A formal speech delivered to an audience or the details of where someone lives or works
2. A formal expression of thoughts directed at an audience or the specific location associated with a person or organization
3. A speech aimed at a group or the designation of a particular physical place for communication purposes

Etymology: The verb "address" once meant "to make straight" or "to dress." It reaches English from Middle English "adressen," meaning "to raise erect, adorn," which came from Old French "adrecier," "to straighten." That French verb was built from "ad-," meaning "towards," and the Latin "dīrēctus," "straight, right," which itself comes from "dīrigō," "to lay straight, to direct." The chain behind that Latin root is equally physical. "Dīrigō" is formed from "dis-," "apart," and "regō," "to rule or guide." So the idea of ruling something into a straight line sits at the core, and the sense of straightening or arranging gradually turned into aiming words at someone. Spanish preserves the older physical sense in "aderezar," which means "to garnish" or "to dress food" with spices. That cousin shows how the notion of putting something in order could stretch from arranging a dish to arranging a message.

Synonyms: speech, lecture, talk

Antonyms: silence, disregard