English Reference

Word

RSVP

Phoneticsrsvp

/ˈɑˈɹɛsˈviˈpi/

Definition

v. Stands for Répondez S'il Vous Plaît. To reply to an invitation to say if you are coming or not.

v. Abbreviation for Répondez S'il Vous Plaît. To respond to an invitation to confirm or decline attendance. Often used as an intransitive verb in social and professional correspondence.

Examples

“Please RSVP by Friday so we can order enough food.”

“Guests are requested to RSVP via the event website no later than two weeks before the wedding date.”

“While traditionally used as a formal request, modern digital invitations often include an RSVP button to streamline the process of collecting guest counts and dietary requirements.”

Examples

simple

“Please RSVP by Friday so we can order enough food.”

contextual

“Guests are requested to RSVP via the event website no later than two weeks before the wedding date.”

complex

“While traditionally used as a formal request, modern digital invitations often include an RSVP button to streamline the process of collecting guest counts and dietary requirements.”

Usage

Often used as an intransitive verb; can also function as a noun referring to the reply itself.

Pitfall

Please RSVP back to me

Please RSVP to me

RSVP already means 'reply', so adding 'back' is redundant.

Etymology

Orthographic borrowing from French RSVP, initialism of répondez s'il vous plaît (“please reply”).

Abbreviations.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Computing

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference