re

The word “re” means concerning or with reference to something, commonly used to introduce the subject of a letter, email, or document. In plain terms, a short word meaning "about" or "regarding," and also a musical note name.

“Re” is pronounced ree (/ɹiː/ in IPA).

Here is “re” used in a sentence: “Re: your email of Monday, the shipment has now been dispatched.”

Depending on how it is used, “re” can be a preposition and a noun.

The word “re” comes from Latin. From Latin re, the ablative form of res ("thing, matter"), used in Latin legal phrases such as in re ("in the matter of").

“Re” is a very common word in modern English.

“Re” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: concerning or with reference to something, commonly used to introduce the subject of a letter, email, or document.

"Re" means "regarding" or "concerning," and it introduces the subject of a message. Writing "Re: staff meeting" signals that what follows is about the staff meeting. It comes from the Latin "res," meaning "matter" or "thing," and has long been used at the head of letters and memos.

Strictly, "re" means "regarding," not "reply." The confusion arises because email programs automatically add "Re:" to the subject line when you reply, so many people read it as short for "reply." In its original sense, though, it simply flags the topic that a message concerns.

Place "re" before the subject at the start of a letter, memo, or email — for example, "Re: your order of 5 June." It works as a heading rather than inside a sentence. In formal writing, avoid using "re" mid-sentence as a casual substitute for "about."