reply
Americanverb (used without object)
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to make answer in words or writing; answer; respond.
to reply to a question.
- Synonyms:
- rejoin
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to respond by some action, performance, etc..
to reply to the enemy's fire.
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to return a sound; echo; resound.
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Law. to answer a defendant's plea.
verb (used with object)
verb
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to make answer (to) in words or writing or by an action; respond
he replied with an unexpected move
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(tr; takes a clause as object) to say (something) in answer
he replied that he didn't want to come
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law to answer a defendant's plea
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to return (a sound); echo
noun
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an answer made in words or writing or through an action; response
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the answer made by a plaintiff or petitioner to a defendant's case
Synonym Usage
See answer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have repliedperfect
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has repliedperfect 3rd person singular
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are replyingprogressive
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has been replyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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repliessingular 3rd person
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am replyingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been replyingperfect progressive
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is replyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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replyingparticiple
Past
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had repliedperfect
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was replyingprogressive singular
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had been replyingperfect progressive
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were replyingprogressive plural
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repliedparticiple
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repliedsimple
Future
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”; see 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."
Vocabulary lists containing reply
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, it had not been clear if the image, and those posted in the reply, had been created using the AI chatbot Grok.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
He apologized in a reply, saying it was "humor."
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Keep a file of your memo and your employer’s reply.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
"As well as being a very nice person, he is interesting and thoughtful. Just a thought. No need to reply."
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
“Well, it’s just that… it’s a lot. Everything in Davey is a lot,” I reply.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
