Address

Definition

Think of a company president facing an angry crowd of employees who have just learned that layoffs are coming. The room is tense. She could ignore the fear, or she could speak directly to it. Instead of dodging the issue, she looks at the people who will be most affected, names their concerns one by one, and explains exactly what the company will do to help them. What is the president doing? She is addressing the concerns.

What it describes

To address means to turn your attention toward a problem or a person and deal with it directly, often in speech or writing. It is not about physical placement; it is about directing your focus or handling a topic head‑on.

Examples in context

• The manager addressed the team’s concerns about overtime in the weekly meeting.
• Before the problem gets worse, we need to address the root cause immediately.