address
/ˈæˌdɹɛs/
verbnoun
Core
1.v.speak to
“He addressed the crowd outside the window”
2.v.give a speech to
“The chairman addressed the board of trustees”
3.v.put an address on (an envelope)
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address and direct share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. address means “speak to”. direct means “command with authority”. address is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈæˌdɹɛs/
1.v.speak to
“He addressed the crowd outside the window”
2.v.give a speech to
“The chairman addressed the board of trustees”
3.v.put an address on (an envelope)
/dɚˈɛkt/
1.v.command with authority
“He directed the children to do their homework”
2.v.intend (something) to move towards a certain goal
“He aimed his fists towards his opponent's face”
3.v.guide the actors in (plays and films)
| address | direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈæˌdɹɛs/ | /dɚˈɛkt/ |
| Said | A-dres | dur-EKT |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, adjective, adverb |
| Senses | 18 | 24 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | turn to | none recorded |
Full entry for address · Full entry for direct · More comparisons