Addressed

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈdɹɛst/

Definitions

1. Spoken or written specifically to someone ; handled or managed a problem or issue ; sent or directed something to a particular recipient
2. Communicated a message or information to a person or group ; took action to resolve or treat a matter ; aimed or delivered something towards a target
3. Targeted words or remarks at someone ; took care of or responded to a concern ; arranged for something to reach the intended person or place

Etymology: The past tense of "address" carries a surprise: the English verb began with a sense of straightening things out, not of speaking. Middle English "adressen" meant "to raise erect, adorn," borrowed from Old French "adrecier," which meant "to straighten." The French verb had been built on a Latin chain: "ad-" (toward) plus "dīrēctiāre," from "dīrēctus," "straight, right," which in turn came from "dīrigō," "to lay straight, to direct," rooted in "regō," "to rule or govern." So the modern senses of "addressed" grew out of that idea of aiming something straight at a target. Speaking to someone, sending a letter to the right place, or dealing with a problem are all ways of directing your attention or your message toward a point, much as an arrow is aimed. The Spanish cognate "aderezar," meaning "to garnish" or "to season food," shows the older sense of making something ready or set in order that survived in another Romance language.

Synonyms: directed, delivered, tackled, discussed, focused

Antonyms: ignored, neglected, overlooked, dismissed, abandoned