Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Addressed to the sender: Describes an envelope, package, or piece of mail that has the sender's own name and address written on it as the intended destination. This is typically done so the recipient can easily return something by mail without having to write the address.

Usage

The word self-addressed is almost exclusively used to describe a return envelope or package included with a request. It is commonly paired with "stamped" (meaning a postage stamp is already affixed). The standard instruction is to include a "stamped, self-addressed envelope" (often abbreviated as SASE).

Examples

• Adjective:
  • Please include a self-addressed envelope if you wish to have your documents returned.
  • The application requires a stamped, self-addressed envelope for our reply.
  • She mailed the manuscript with a self-addressed mailer inside.

Advanced Usage

• "self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE)": The full, formal term used in official correspondence, applications, or submissions where a reply or return of materials is expected.
  • For a catalog, send a request and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the following address.

Variants and Related Words

• Self-addressed envelope (SAE): A common variant, though "stamped" is often implied or explicitly requested in instructions.
• Return envelope: A more general synonym, but it does not specify that the sender pre-addressed it.

Synonyms

• Pre-addressed (to the sender): Specifically indicates the address was written beforehand.
• Return-addressed: Less common, but conveys the same idea that the address is for the return.

Notes

• Self-addressed is a compound adjective formed from "self-" + "addressed." Its meaning is specific and literal, relating directly to the act of writing one's own address on mail. It is not used in abstract or metaphorical contexts.

Adjective

1. addressed to yourself
   • enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope with all submissions