Addressing the issue

“address (v) 1 write someone's name on (envelope or parcel). 2 speak formally to, direct one's remarks to. 3 think about and begin to deal with. 4 (golf) prepare to hit (the ball).”¹

Address in its third sense has joined “involve” as a “lazily overused”² verb that “makes it the delight of those who dislike the effort of searching for the right word”³ or “the trouble of precise thought.”⁴ Searching bmj.com for “addresses” or “addressing” mines a rich seam. There is almost nothing that cannot be addressed: …