Jump To:

• re
  re

  noun

  the syllable used for the second tone of a diatonic scale.
• 're
  're

  contraction of are: They're leaving.
• Re
  Re

  noun

  Ra.
• R/E
  R/E

  real estate.
• re-
  re-

  a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion.
• Re.
  Re.

  abbreviation

  rupee.
• r.e.
  r.e.

  abbreviation

  right end.
• R.E.
  R.E.

  abbreviation

  real estate.
• RE
  RE

  abbreviation

  Reformed Episcopal

re

¹ American  

[rey] / reɪ /

noun

Music.

• res
  plural

1. 

   the syllable used for the second tone of a diatonic scale.

2. (in the fixed system of solmization) the tone D.

---

re ² American  

[ree, rey] / ri, reɪ /

preposition

Chiefly Law and Commerce.

1. in the case of; with reference to; in re.

---

're ³ American  

[er] / ər /

1. contraction of are: They're leaving.

---

Re ⁴ American  

[rey] / reɪ /

noun

Egyptian Religion.

1. Ra.

---

Re ⁵ American  

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. rhenium.

---

R/E ⁶ American  

Or RE

1. real estate.

---

re- ⁷ American  

1. a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion.

   regenerate; refurbish; retype; retrace; revert.

---

Re. ⁸ American  

Or re.

abbreviation

1. rupee.

---

r.e. ⁹ American  

abbreviation

Football.

1. right end.

---

R.E. ¹⁰ American  

abbreviation

1. real estate.

2. Reformed Episcopal.

3. Right Excellent.

---

RE ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Reformed Episcopal

2. Religious Education

3. Right Excellent

4. Royal Engineers

---

re- ² British  

prefix

1. indicating return to a previous condition, restoration, withdrawal, etc

   rebuild

   renew

   retrace

   reunite

2. indicating repetition of an action

   recopy

   remarry

---

Re ³ British  

/ reɪ /

noun

1. another name for Ra 2

---

Re ⁴ British  

symbol

1. rhenium

---

Re ⁵ British  

symbol

1. rupee

---

're ⁶ British  

contraction

1. are

   we're

   you're

   they're

---

re ⁷ British  

/ riː, reɪ /

noun

1. music a variant spelling of ray 3

---

re ⁸ British  

/ riː /

preposition

1. with reference to

---

re ⁹ British  

abbreviation

1. Reunion Island

---

Usage

See contraction.

Verbs beginning with re- indicate repetition or restoration. It is unnecessary to add an adverb such as back or again : This must not occur again (not recur again ); we recounted the votes (not recounted the votes again , which implies that the votes were counted three times, not twice)

Re , in contexts such as re your letter, your remarks have been noted or he spoke to me re your complaint , is common in business or official correspondence. In general English with reference to is preferable in the former case and about or concerning in the latter. Even in business correspondence, the use of re is often restricted to the letter heading

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• res
  plural

Etymology

Origin of re¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; see origin at gamut

Origin of re²

First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin rē “(in the) matter, affair, thing,” ablative of rēs

Origin of re-⁷

Middle English < Latin re-, red-

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

re 're Re re- r.e. R.E. RE res

Opera Philadelphia opened its season last week at the Academy of Music with a rarity: Mozart’s “Mitridate, re di Ponto,” written in 1770 for Milan when the composer was 14 years old.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

She added that many of Al Fayed's alleged victims would be distressed by the breach, saying: "For me, it's more of the same, really, and deeply re abusive, to be honest. It's unbelievable."

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

To investigate further, the team re examined every fossil bone previously identified as belonging to geese.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

“We have received quite a lot of messages re Coachella, we are so gutted, guys,” Lunny continued in the post.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

After meeting with his new employees, he turned to Beatrix Halliday, his longtime assistant, and asked, “What do you think they re saying about me?”

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

But if you 're looking for a sweet dessert, serve with whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2024

“We ’re really trying to focus on the last frontier of unvaccinated individuals,” said Teni-Ola Ogunjobi, a spokeswoman for the group.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2021

"They 're not going to let you come in here and just – help people."

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2018

"The parties need to try and see if we 're going to move, if we're going to have power sharing, and if not we're going to have to deal with the consequences."

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2017

Ramu says you ’re a strong god, a dancing god.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

South Carolina’s insurance regulator filed a petition Tuesday to place Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company and Southern Atlantic Re into rehabilitation, a court-supervised process similar to chapter 11 bankruptcy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Swiss Re forecasts that global premiums for insuring data centers will likely reach $20 billion to $30 billion a year by 2030.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Find insight on Munich Re, Standard Life, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and more in the latest Market Talks covering financial services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

June and July reinsurance-treaty renewals point to more volume growth at Hannover Re than at peers, but look weak in terms of margin, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

After all, there were other cells to work with, including some he’d grown himself: A.Fi. and D-i Re, each named after the patient it came from.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

"This study could be the initial mover for re- evaluating the comet interior evolution and activity theory."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2024

Mask-wearing stopped being compulsory in May, but the government is reserving the right to re- introduce it under its winter plan.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2021

“We are there to provide a service, we think there’s value in the service, but we do not want to re- litigate this at this time.”

From Washington Post ● May 15, 2021

The Catholic Reformation established Catholic orthodoxy and launched a massive, and largely successful, campaign to re- affirm the loyalty and enthusiasm of Catholic laypeople.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

But once she left the Bean Bar, Bridge couldn’t re- member exactly when she’d walked home alone in the dark before.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead

The solar technology company expanded its relationship with renewable energy company BayWa r.e.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2022

The whole issue of 2018 estimated r.e. taxes paid in 2017 will be an extremely sticky wicket.

From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2017

To r.e., re—c.a.p., cap, recap—i.t, it, re—capit—Lor'! what a twister!—u, recapitu—l.a.t.e, late, re-cap-it-u-late the events de-tailed in my last letter, full stop—there! if I han't read that full stop out loud!

From I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter Tales by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

Today’s investigators spoke with the founder of the R.E.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 16, 2023

"Goodbar was chasing the family dog when she entered the roadway and was struck by the vehicle," Virginia State Police Senior Trooper R.E.

From Fox News ● Oct. 30, 2018

Even the church Lee attended in Lexington, Virginia, is no longer R.E.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 8, 2018

Other authors, like Mike Brooks in his Keiko trilogy and R.E.

From The Verge ● Mar. 29, 2018

Raban, R.E., was detached with part of a rocket battery, to take up a position on the hillside and open fire on Konoma, simultaneously with the guns.

From My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills by James Johnstone, chevalier de Johnstone

Teaching RE and coollective worship are legally compulsory in all schools in Northern Ireland, except nursery schools.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

But the Supreme Court ruled that RE was not taught in "an objective, critical, and pluralistic manner."

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

But the RE syllabus will change to include other main religions and philosophical traditions, Paul Givan added.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

While the Supreme Court judgement was significant and is likely to lead to change in the way RE is taught, it did not directly affect Love's case.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026

Key of B♭, three-quarter measure: First measure, DO a quarter note, RE a quarter, and MI a quarter.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Karl Wilson Gehrkens

His films are designed to be all-consuming experiences, opening in media res, grabbing the viewer by the ankle and dragging them into action already in progress.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Like Nokia’s Labovitz, he had become fixated on the Chinese company behind the res proxy network connected to Kimwolf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

The law deems them res nullius, which literally means a thing belonging to nobody - so responsibility falls to individual landowners.

From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025

Birria de res — stewed beef — is on menus across town after it truly hit Southern California last decade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

Like many dramas, Citt and Bumpkin begins in medias res and draws the reader immediately into the action.

From Citt and Bumpkin (1680) by Sir Roger L'Estrange

Related Words

• depend on
• rest on