What Does “Re:” Mean in an Email? (And “Fwd:”, “FW:”)
“Re:” in an email subject line means the email is a reply. Learn what Re: stands for, what Fwd: and FW: mean, and whether you should add or remove them.
2 min read
Quick answer
“Re:” at the start of a subject line means the email is a reply to an earlier message. It comes from the Latin “in re,” meaning “in the matter of,” and is added automatically when you click Reply. “Fwd:” or “FW:” means the email has been forwarded.
You’ll see Re: at the start of countless email subject lines. Here’s what it means, along with its cousins Fwd: and FW:.
What “Re:” means
“Re:” means the email is a reply. When you click Reply or Reply All, your email app automatically adds “Re:” to the subject line:
- Original: Q3 budget
- Reply: Re: Q3 budget
The abbreviation comes from the Latin “in re”, meaning “in the matter of.” Today most people simply read it as “regarding” or “reply.”
What “Fwd:” and “FW:” mean
Fwd: (or FW: in Outlook) means the email has been forwarded, sent on to someone who wasn’t on the original message.
| Prefix | Meaning | Added when you click |
|---|---|---|
| Re: | Reply | Reply / Reply all |
| Fwd: | Forwarded | Forward (Gmail, Apple Mail) |
| FW: | Forwarded | Forward (Outlook) |
| AW: / SV: / RV: | Reply/forward in other languages | Same, in localized apps |
Should you change “Re:”?
- Keep it in normal replies. It helps email apps group messages into one thread.
- Clean up “Re: Re: Re: Re:” to a single “Re:” if your app stacks them.
- Change the subject if the conversation moves to a new topic, so it’s easy to find later.
Using “Re:” in letters
In formal letters and memos, “Re:” is sometimes used as a subject label:
In email you don’t need it: the subject line already does this job.
Frequently asked questions
What does RE stand for in email?
It’s commonly read as “regarding” or “reply,” but it comes from the Latin phrase “in re,” meaning “in the matter of.”
Should I remove “Re:” from the subject line?
Usually no. It keeps the conversation grouped as one thread. Change the subject only if the topic of the conversation changes.
What does “Re: Re: Re:” mean?
Some email apps add another “Re:” for every reply. It just means the thread has gone back and forth several times; you can tidy it up to a single “Re:”.
Can I put “Re:” in a new email?
Avoid it. Adding “Re:” to a new email makes it look like a reply to a conversation that never happened, a trick often used in spam.