reply

American  

[ri-plahy] / rɪˈplaɪ /

verb (used without object)

replied, replying

1. to make answer in words or writing; answer; respond.

   to reply to a question.

   Synonyms:

   rejoin

2. to respond by some action, performance, etc..

   to reply to the enemy's fire.

3. to return a sound; echo; resound.

4. Law. to answer a defendant's plea.

---

verb (used with object)

replied, replying

1. to return as an answer (usually used in a negative combination or followed by a clause withthat ).

   Not a syllable did he reply. He replied that no one would go.

noun

plural

replies

1. an answer or response in words or writing.

   Synonyms:

   riposte, rejoinder

2. a response made by some action, performance, etc.

reply British  

/ rɪˈplaɪ /

verb

1. to make answer (to) in words or writing or by an action; respond

   he replied with an unexpected move

2. (tr; takes a clause as object) to say (something) in answer

   he replied that he didn't want to come

3. law to answer a defendant's plea

4. to return (a sound); echo

---

noun

1. an answer made in words or writing or through an action; response

2. the answer made by a plaintiff or petitioner to a defendant's case

Related Words

See answer.

Other Word Forms

• replier noun
• unreplied adjective
• unreplying adjective

Etymology

Origin of reply

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English replien (verb), from Middle French replier “to fold back, reply,” from Latin replicāre “to unroll, fold back”; replicate

Explanation

Whenever you say something in response to someone, you reply. If your teacher asks why you're late to school, you might reply, "Sorry, I missed the bus." To answer back or respond is to reply, and whatever you say is also a reply. Your reply could be a long quotation from a Shakespeare soliloquy, or it might be a simple, silent nod of the head. You can also reply using a letter, a text, or an email. Reply comes from the Late Latin replicare, which means both "to reply or repeat," but also "to fold back."

Example Sentences

She called the emails “casual correspondence” and stated, “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

She referenced a 2002 email between her and Maxwell released in the Epstein files, calling it nothing more than "casual correspondence" and a "polite reply".

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Government lawyers are scheduled to reply to her petition a week after Tax Day.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

“I’m not there, so I don’t see the day-to-day operation,” was his weak salsa reply.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

“An angel in Deadwood,” came the girl’s frail reply.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• acknowledge
• answer
• come back
• counter
• react
• respond
• retort