addressees

An addressee is the person or entity to whom a communication is directed. In letters, emails, packages, and other messages, the addressee is the recipient. The term helps distinguish the person who receives the message (the addressee) from the sender and from the content itself. The word derives from address plus the -ee suffix, a productive pattern in English for indicating the indirect object or recipient.

In postal and logistics contexts, the addressee's name and address identify the delivery target. In digital communications, the addressee is the recipient specified by fields such as To or the primary recipient, while copies (cc) or blind copies (bcc) refer to additional addressees who receive copies but are not the primary addressee.

In linguistics and rhetoric, the addressee is the intended listener or reader. The speaker may use vocatives or direct forms of address when speaking to the addressee. The addressee is distinguished from the addresser (the speaker or sender) and from the message itself; the audience can be broader than the immediate addressee.

In law and administration, notices and service of process are typically directed to the addressee, at the address known to the sender. Failure to reach the addressee may affect validity or timeliness of legal actions and communications.

Common synonyms include recipient. Addressee is common in formal or technical writing; in everyday usage, recipient is often preferred. Understanding the addressee clarifies the intended target of communication and helps ensure proper delivery and reception.