LingvoCore.com

indirect address

C1/C2
UK/ˌɪn.daɪˈrekt əˈdres/US/ˌɪn.dɪˈrekt ˈæ.dres/

Formal / Technical

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

A method of communicating or making contact without directly stating or approaching the main subject or person; in computing, a memory addressing technique where the address points to another address containing the data.

A rhetorical, diplomatic, or strategic approach that involves hinting, implying, or using intermediaries to convey messages, often to avoid confrontation, maintain politeness, or follow protocol. In technical contexts (computer architecture, programming), it refers to accessing data via a pointer or reference rather than directly.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

In general language, it carries connotations of tact, evasion, or procedural formality. In computing, it is a neutral technical term for a fundamental programming and hardware concept.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning. Slight preference for 'roundabout way' or 'oblique approach' in British English for the general sense. The computing term is identical.

Connotations

Equally formal in both dialects. The social/pragmatic use may be perceived as slightly more common in British English due to cultural norms of indirectness.

Frequency

Low frequency in everyday conversation. Higher frequency in technical writing (computing, diplomacy, business communications).

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
use an indirect addressvia indirect addressemploy indirect address
medium
an indirect address to the issuethrough indirect addressmethod of indirect address
weak
his indirect addresscomplex indirect addresssubtle indirect address

Grammar

Valency Patterns

Verb + indirect address: use, employ, implement, avoidPreposition + indirect address: via, through, by means of, using

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

indirectionroundabout wayhinting

Neutral

oblique referencecircuitous approachmediated communication

Weak

tactful approachdiscreet methodnon-confrontational style

Vocabulary

Antonyms

direct addressexplicit statementstraightforward approachbluntness

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “To beat around the bush”
  • “To talk in circles”
  • “To approach something sideways”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Used in negotiations or feedback to soften criticism: 'The manager used indirect address to suggest improvements.'

Academic

Analysed in linguistics (pragmatics, politeness theory) and computer science (memory management).

Everyday

Rare in casual talk. Might describe how someone hints at a sensitive topic.

Technical

Core concept in computer architecture and programming languages (e.g., pointers in C, indirect addressing modes).

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

  • They made an indirect-address inquiry through their solicitor.
  • The system uses an indirect-address mechanism for security.

American English

  • It was an indirect-address comment aimed at the whole team.
  • The processor supports indirect-address modes.

Examples

By CEFR Level

B1
  • He asked for help using indirect address, so I didn't realise he was talking to me.
  • In computing, indirect address is a more complex way to find data.
B2
  • Diplomats often rely on indirect address to deliver uncomfortable messages without causing offence.
  • The function uses indirect addressing to modify the variable's value in memory.
C1
  • Her critique was couched in such subtle indirect address that only the keenest observers grasped its full implication.
  • The compiler optimised the loop by replacing a direct memory access with a more efficient indirect address calculation.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of sending a letter NOT directly to the recipient, but first to a friend who then passes it on. That friend is the 'indirect address'.

Conceptual Metaphor

COMMUNICATION IS A PATH (taking a longer, less direct route to a destination). DATA IS A LOCATION (accessing it via directions to another set of directions).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Avoid literal translation 'косвенный адрес' for the social sense—use 'намёк', 'уклончивый подход'. In computing, 'косвенная адресация' is correct.
  • Do not confuse with 'e-mail forwarding'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'indirect speech' (reported speech) interchangeably. 'Indirect address' is about the *method* of contact or access, not reporting words.
  • Pronouncing 'address' with stress on the first syllable (/ˈæ.dres/) in the general sense. Here, as a noun meaning 'location' or 'approach', it's stressed on the second syllable (/əˈdres/).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
In assembly language, an instruction tells the CPU to look at one memory location to find the *address* of the actual data it needs.
Multiple Choice

In which context is 'indirect address' most likely to be used in everyday British English?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. 'Reported speech' (or indirect speech) is about grammar—changing direct quotes into a grammatical report (e.g., 'He said he was tired'). 'Indirect address' is a pragmatic or technical strategy for communication or data access, not a grammatical transformation.

It can be perceived as evasive, confusing, or passive-aggressive if overused or in contexts where directness is expected. Its politeness is highly culture- and situation-dependent.

Direct addressing or immediate addressing. In direct addressing, the instruction contains the exact memory address of the data. In immediate addressing, the instruction contains the data value itself.

It enables powerful techniques like pointers, dynamic memory allocation, data structures (linked lists, trees), and writing functions that can operate on different data locations (pass-by-reference).