reply

A2 Topic:Communication

US /ɹɪˈplaɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #5428

Meanings

1

verb
To answer, in speech or writing.

Please reply to my email as soon as you can.
2

noun
An answer given in speech or writing.

I am still waiting for a reply to my letter.
3

verb
To respond with an action or gesture.

She replied to his insult with a cold stare.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to answer, in speech or... respond

2 noun · an answer given in speech... response

More account answercomebackcounter react reaction rebuttal rejoin rejoinder retort

Word family

Forms repliedrepliesreplying

Derived forms auto-replyautoreplycounterreplymisreplynonreplynonreplyingreply-pingreplyallpocalypsereplyerreplyinglyunrepliableunreplied

Related forms respond

Etymology

From Middle English replyen, replien, borrowed from Old French replier (“to reply”), from the Latin replicō, replicāre (“to fold back”) (in Late or Medieval Latin "to reply, repeat"), from re + plicō (“to fold”); the noun derives from the verb by nominalisation. Doublet of replicate and replica.

*pleḱ- Proto-Indo-European replyen Middle English replier Old French replico Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# reply

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɹɪˈplaɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 5428

## Meanings
1. To answer, in speech or writing.
2. An answer given in speech or writing.
3. To respond with an action or gesture.

## Examples
- Please reply to my email as soon as you can.
- I am still waiting for a reply to my letter.
- She replied to his insult with a cold stare.

## Synonyms
- account
- answer
- comeback
- counter
- react
- reaction
- rebuttal
- rejoin
- rejoinder
- respond
- response
- retort

## Derived Forms
- auto-reply
- autoreply
- counterreply
- misreply
- nonreply
- nonreplying
- reply-ping
- replyallpocalypse
- replyer
- replyingly
- unrepliable
- unreplied

## Related Forms
- respond

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pleḱ-
- Root: replyen
- Root: replier
- Root: replico

## Etymology
From Middle English replyen, replien, borrowed from Old French replier (“to reply”), from the Latin replicō, replicāre (“to fold back”) (in Late or Medieval Latin "to reply, repeat"), from re + plicō (“to fold”); the noun derives from the verb by nominalisation. Doublet of replicate and replica.

## AI Etymology
Reply comes from Middle English replyen, replien, borrowed from Old French replier (“to reply”), from the Latin replicō, replicāre (“to fold back”) (in Late or Medieval Latin "to reply, repeat"), from re + plicō (“to fold”); the noun derives from the verb by nominalisation. Doublet of replicate and replica. Modern senses include to answer, in speech or writing. and an answer given in speech or writing.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as auto-reply, autoreply, counterreply, misreply, nonreply, and nonreplying and related forms such as respond.

## Topics
- Communication

markdown

reply

Meanings

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