addressee
gb/ˌædɹɛsˈi/ us/ˌædɹɛsˈi/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
entity
1
person named as recipient
the person who should receive a letter or email
Usage pattern:
the addressee of [a letter/email/package]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse addressee (receiver) with sender (person who sends).
Synonyms
recipient (More general and much more common in everyday English.)
Antonyms
sender (The person who sends the letter, email, or package.)
Collocations
intended addressee
|correct addressee
|wrong addressee
|named addressee
|addressee details
|addressee information
|addressee address
|addressee name
|addressee field
|addressee line
Themes
communication
|business
|writing
Examples
- If the addressee has moved, the letter will be returned to the sender.
- Please double-check the addressee before you hit send.
- The package was delivered to the wrong addressee.
Learner examples
- I wrote the wrong addressee on the envelope.
- The addressee is my teacher.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
2
intended recipient of a message
the person the message is meant for
Usage pattern:
[something] is intended for the addressee
Common mistake:
Addressee is often used for a person, not for an organization as a whole unless it clearly stands for a person/office receiving it.
Synonyms
intended recipient (A clearer, more explicit phrase; common in formal writing.)
|
target (Less personal; often used for marketing or criticism rather than mail.)
Antonyms
originator (The person who creates or sends the message.)
Collocations
the intended addressee
|reach the addressee
|contact the addressee
|inform the addressee
|notify the addressee
|the message's addressee
|the document's addressee
|the email's addressee
|the addressee list
|the addressee group
Themes
communication
|business
|writing
Examples
- The memo was leaked before it reached its addressee.
- This warning is addressed to the addressee only and should not be forwarded.
- If you are not the addressee, please delete the email.
Learner examples
- The addressee of this email is my manager.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
3
listener or reader being addressed
in linguistics: the person you talk or write to
Usage pattern:
speaker and addressee
Common mistake:
In everyday English, people usually say listener, audience, or reader instead of addressee.
Synonyms
hearer (Common technical synonym in linguistics for spoken interaction.)
|
interlocutor (Broader: any participant in the conversation, not necessarily the one being directly addressed.)
Antonyms
speaker (The person producing the utterance (the addressor).)
Collocations
speaker and addressee
|addressor and addressee
|the addressee role
|addressee interpretation
|addressee-oriented
|addressee design
|addressee uptake
|addressee perspective
|addressee knowledge
|addressee response
Themes
language
|education
|technical
Examples
- In pragmatics, meaning depends on the relationship between speaker and addressee.
- The pronoun choice signals how the speaker positions the addressee.
- The addressee may infer information that is not stated explicitly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
addressee
IPA
GB/ˌædɹɛsˈi/
US/ˌædɹɛsˈi/
Syllables & stress
ad - dress - ee (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ee)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: addressee
- Plural: addressees
Word family
Forms
addressees
noun
Core family
address
noun A1
Related words
addresser
noun
addressable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unaddressed
adjective
Expressions
addressee unknown
1/ˌædɹɛsˈi ʌnnˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
formal
recipient cannot be identified
the person is not known at that address
Examples
- The envelope came back stamped 'Addressee unknown.'
- The courier marked the delivery attempt as 'addressee unknown.'
addressor and addressee
1/ˈædɹˈɛsɚ ˈænd ˌædɹɛsˈi/
fixed phrase
technical
sender and person addressed
in linguistics: the speaker/writer and the person they speak/write to
Examples
- Politeness strategies vary with the relative status of addressor and addressee.
- The study models how context shapes meaning for both addressor and addressee.
intended addressee
1/ɪntˈɛndɪd ˌædɹɛsˈi/
fixed phrase
formal
the person it is meant for
the person who should receive it
Examples
- Please make sure this attachment goes to the intended addressee.
- The message never reached the intended addressee because of a typo in the email address.
original addressee
1/ɚˈɪd͡ʒənəl ˌædɹɛsˈi/
fixed phrase
formal
the first named recipient
the person it was first sent to
Examples
- The letter was forwarded to me by the original addressee.
- Please confirm whether you are the original addressee of this notice.
wrong addressee
1/ɹˈɔŋ ˌædɹɛsˈi/
fixed phrase
formal
someone who should not receive it
the person who got it by mistake
Examples
- I’m sorry—this was sent to the wrong addressee.
- The contract was emailed to the wrong addressee and had to be recalled.