misaddress: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Technical
Quick answer
What does “misaddress” mean?
To address (a letter, parcel, or communication) incorrectly.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To address (a letter, parcel, or communication) incorrectly; to send something to the wrong recipient or location.
To speak to or deal with a person, problem, or issue in an inappropriate or incorrect manner; to direct attention or effort toward the wrong target.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral/formal, implying an error in process or judgment.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. More likely found in postal/legal/technical contexts than in everyday speech.
Grammar
How to Use “misaddress” in a Sentence
[Subject] misaddress [Object] (to [Recipient/Place])The letter was misaddressed.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “misaddress” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The clerk misaddressed the parcel, so it ended up in Cornwall instead of Coventry.
- If you misaddress the complaint to the wrong department, there will be a significant delay.
American English
- The sorting machine misaddressed several hundred letters due to a software glitch.
- The senator's office misaddressed the official response to the wrong constituent.
adverb
British English
- N/A – not standardly used as an adverb.
American English
- N/A – not standardly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- N/A – not standardly used as an adjective.
American English
- N/A – not standardly used as an adjective.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in logistics, customer service, or formal communication regarding incorrectly sent correspondence or misdirected efforts.
Academic
Rare. May appear in discussions of communication errors or methodological flaws.
Everyday
Virtually unused. A native speaker would say 'send to the wrong address' or 'mess up the address'.
Technical
Used in postal services, database management (misaddressed data), or network routing.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “misaddress”
- Using it as a noun (e.g., 'There was a misaddress') – the noun is 'misdirection' or 'wrong address'.
- Overusing the figurative sense; it is primarily a technical term for physical mail.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency, formal/technical term. In everyday speech, people use phrases like 'send to the wrong address'.
Figuratively, yes (e.g., 'misaddress a problem'), but this is rare. The primary meaning is physical addressing of mail or parcels.
There is no common direct noun form. Use 'misdirection', 'incorrect addressing', or 'wrong address'.
No. It does not mean 'to address someone rudely'. It specifically means to direct something (like mail or attention) to the wrong target.
To address (a letter, parcel, or communication) incorrectly.
Misaddress is usually formal / technical in register.
Misaddress: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪs.əˈdres/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪs.əˈdres/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'MIS-taken ADDRESS' – you made a mistake with the address.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIRECTION IS ACCURACY (To address correctly is to aim accurately; to misaddress is to miss the target).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'misaddress' MOST likely to be used?