# roger that

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/roger-that
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to acknowledge receipt and understanding of a message

## Examples

- I will be there at five, roger that?
- Roger that, I am picking up the groceries now.
- The pilot confirmed the flight path change with a quick roger that to the control tower.
- The warehouse manager told the driver to use the side entrance, and he replied with a quick roger that before hanging up.
- When the chef told the staff to clean the kitchen immediately, the young assistant gave a roger that and grabbed a mop.
- After the commander issued the final orders for the mission, the team responded with a synchronized roger that before moving into position.

## Origin

The expression is an extension of the radio communication term *roger*, used to signal that a transmission has been received. By 1950, the pronoun was appended to the term to refer specifically to the last piece of information provided. The expanded phrase entered broader public consciousness by 1969, its use driven initially by the recorded radio transmissions of NASA’s Apollo missions and subsequently maintained by authors of military fiction.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.