ENGLISH
REFERENCE

reply

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ɹiˈpɫaɪ// UK //ɹɪplˈaɪ// re·ply General-service

n. something you say or write as an answer to a question or a message. You usually send a reply when someone contacts you first.

n. a spoken or written response to a communication or query. Often used interchangeably with 'answer', though it implies a reaction to a specific stimulus.


SIMPLE

I am waiting for a reply to my email.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager sent a quick reply to confirm that the meeting time worked for everyone.

COMPLEX

Despite the urgency of the request, the department failed to provide a formal reply within the ten-day window required by company policy.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English replyen, replien, borrowed from Old French replier (“to reply”), from the Latin replicō, replicāre (“I 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.

Usage

Commonly takes the preposition 'to' before the person or message being answered.

Pitfall

I received a reply of my letterI received a reply to my letterThe noun 'reply' takes the preposition 'to', not 'of'.

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