addressee n : one to whom something is addressed

English

Etymology

From address + suffix -ee, used for recipient of an action, probably from French suffix for past participles

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iː

Noun

1. The person or organization to which something, such as a letter or message, is addressed, for whom the item is intended.

Translations

• Japanese: 受取人 (uketorinin)

Related terms

• address
• recipient

In linguistics, an addressee is an intended direct recipient of the speaker's communication. A listener is either an addressee or a bystander.

Second-person pronouns refer to an addressee or a group including an addressee. An inclusive first-person pronoun refers to a group including both the speaker and the addressee, while an exclusive first-person pronoun refers to a group including the speaker but not the addressee.

A speaker can show politeness, familiarity, or a difference of social status to the addressee. This is called an addressee honorific. See also T-V distinction.

In postal terms, an addressee is the intended direct recipient of a letter or parcel.

External links

• SIL glossary of linguistic terms - What is an addressee?

accepter, acquirer, artist-in-residence, audience, auditor, beholder, communicator, consignee, correspondent, denizen, dweller, getter, habitant, hearer, holder, house detective, incumbent, inhabitant, inhabiter, inmate, inpatient, intern, letter writer, listener, live-in maid, locum tenens, looker, obtainer, occupant, occupier, payee, pen pal, procurer, receiver, recipient, residencer, resident, resident physician, residentiary, resider, sojourner, spectator, taker, tenant, trustee, viewer, writer