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The Meaning of RE: in Emails

RE: has different definitions in paper and electronic communications

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 12, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Email Yahoo! Mail Gmail When written messages were commonly delivered on paper, the term re stood for "regarding" or "in reference to." It was used at the top of a formal letter, followed by the subject of the letter. Re isn't an abbreviation. Rather, it's taken from the Latin in re, which means "in the matter of." With electronic communications, however, re has been repurposed. RE: in an email subject line precedes the subject when the message is a reply to a previous one that uses the same subject. This indicator helps you and your correspondents recognize messages and responses that are on a particular topic, which is helpful if you're engaged in several email conversations at the same time.

When RE Causes Confusion in Emails

RE: is typically added in front of the subject of a reply email automatically. However, if you put it there manually in a new message, meaning to indicate "regarding," recipients may be confused. They may think the message is a reply that belongs to an email thread they haven't seen. Regardless of what might be true in other contexts, in email correspondence RE: or Re: doesn't mean "regarding." It means "reply." It's common for cold-solicitation business-to-business emails to start with a re to exploit this ambiguity. People savvy with Outlook rules sometimes filter as spam any messages that start with re: when no previous message exists. To prevent confusion, don't insert RE: in a subject line. The fact of the subject line itself implies that this is what the message is "regarding." Instead, allow RE: to appear when you reply to an email message sent to you. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Reply to an Email in Yahoo Mail How to Specify a Reply-To Address in Outlook.com How to Get Alerts for New Replies in a Thread with iOS Mail EOM: What It Means and How It Saves Time How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Outlook How to Quote Text From an Original Email When Replying in Yahoo Mail How to Write the Perfect Email Subject How to End an Email (Even When You Don't Know What to Say) How to Send Email to Undisclosed Recipients From Gmail How to Indent Text or Decrease Quote Level in iPhone Mail How to Insert a Link Into an Email With Outlook How to Send a New Email With iPhone Mail App 10 Best Free Email Accounts for 2022 How to Streamline Conversations in Outlook How to Quote Original Email Messages in Replies and Forwards How to Add Rich Formatting to Text in iPhone Mail Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies