What Does RE Mean In Email?

Whenever we exchange emails with co-workers, friends, and relatives, the same letters appear before the email subject line. These letters are known as email abbreviations or acronyms and are used to quickly and efficiently convey information to the email recipient.

One of the most common abbreviations found in the email subject line is RE.  It’s something that has become so ingrained in everyday life we rarely stop to think, “What does the RE in an email mean?” Well, to understand its meaning, we should first look at the origin of RE in email subject lines.

Where Does RE In Email Come From?

Like roughly 30% of all English words, RE is Latin in origin. RE translates to “in re,” which means “in reference to” or “in the matter of.”

For this reason, people started to use RE as part of letter correspondence. RE was placed at the top of a letter, followed by the letter’s subject matter, to clarify the letter’s purpose to your intended recipient. For example, RE: The ye olde house you want to buy from me that I’m not selling!

Many years later, emails were invented, and the meaning of RE started to shift.

What Does RE In Email Subject Line Mean?

When talking about email subject lines, RE does not mean “regarding” or “in reference to.” The RE abbreviation in email subject lines simply means “reply.”

So, when you see RE in an email subject line, you immediately know this is a reply to an email you have previously sent. Email providers include the RE email abbreviation to help you and the email recipient quickly identify email replies within your correspondence.

RE In Email Body Meaning

We now know seeing RE in an email subject line means you have received a reply to an email. This rule does not apply to the use of RE in the email body text. This type of RE can have multiple meanings.

Let’s take a look at them:

Response – This explains that the information you have received is a response to something previously communicated.

Regarding – This explains the information is regarding a particular topic. For example, “RE: Your new haircut” means someone would like to have a discussion with you regarding the highs and potential lows of a recent trip to the barber.

Reference – This usage is similar to “regarding” and indicates the email content references something specific to the user.

Using these email body abbreviations in your email subject line is not recommended. Your email service provider automatically adds RE to the front of a reply email’s subject line. Using RE email body abbreviations in addition to this would result in email replies containing the subject line “RE: RE:”, which would confuse all involved parties.

The Most Common Email Abbreviations

Take a look at this list of common abbreviations for email subject lines and email text bodies that you may come across in day-to-day life:

RE – Within the email subject line, this means “reply.” Within the email body, it can mean reply, regarding, response, and reference.

FW or FWD – This means it’s a forwarded message.

NRN – No reply necessary.

AR – Action required.

EOM – End of message.

FYI – For your information.

SFW – Safe for work.

OOO – Out of office.

WFH – Working from home.

EOD – End of day.