Addressee
/ˌæd.rɛˈsiː/noun
A person to whom something, especially a letter or message, is addressed.
Did you know?The word is built from the same root as *direct* and *address*—ultimately from Latin *dirigere*, “to straighten, guide, set right,” so an addressee is someone a message is literally “set toward.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
dirigere
“to straighten, guide, set right”
Late Latin
Latin
directus
“straight, guided, addressed”
Old French
Old French
adresser
“to guide, arrange, address”
Middle English
English
addresse
“to prepare, turn toward, direct speech or writing to”
19th Century
English
addressee
“the person to whom a message is addressed”