reply
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.an answer that you write or say to someone.
n.a spoken or written response to a question, request, or communication.
Simple“I sent her an email yesterday but I am still waiting for a reply.”
In context“The press secretary issued a formal reply to the allegations, though many journalists felt the statement failed to address the core concerns.”
PitfallI am waiting for a reply of my letter. I am waiting for a reply to my letter.Use the preposition 'to' after the noun 'reply' when mentioning what you are answering.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a formal document written to answer a legal statement.
n.a legal document filed by a party specifically to respond to a previous declaration or answer from the opposing side.
Simple“The lawyer filed a reply to the defendant's latest statement.”
In context“The plaintiff's reply was submitted just before the deadline, providing a point-by-point refutation of the claims made in the responsive declaration.”
Synonymsrejoinderrebuttal - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.when one part of a piece of music answers another part.
n.the answer of a musical figure or phrase, often appearing in a different voice or key in a fugue.
Simple“The flute plays a short melody, and then the violin gives a reply.”
In context“In the exposition of the fugue, the second voice enters with the reply, transposing the subject into the dominant key.”
- 04 A2 Elementary
v.to say or write something as an answer.
v.to provide a written or spoken response to a prompt, question, or criticism.
Simple“Please reply to this invitation by Friday so we can order the food.”
In context“When asked about the budget cuts, the director replied that no final decisions had been made yet.”
UsageThe verb is often followed by the preposition 'to'.
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to do something as a reaction to an action.
v.to act or gesture in response to a situation or stimulus.
Simple“The army replied to the attack by sending more troops to the border.”
In context“The company replied to the competitor's price drop by launching an aggressive new marketing campaign.”
Usage replies due · reply to your comment
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.