Re
/riː/noun
A preposition meaning “about,” “concerning,” or “in the matter of.”
Did you know?English legal documents use “Re:” as an abbreviation of Latin re, the ablative form of res, meaning “in the matter of” or “concerning.”
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
res
“Thing, matter, affair, or legal case”
Classical Latin
Latin
rē
“In the matter of; concerning; by or about a thing”
Medieval Latin
Latin
re
“Concerning or in the case of, especially in legal formulas”
19th Century
English
re
“A formal preposition meaning “about” or “concerning,” often used in legal headings”
Modern English
English
re:
“Used in correspondence and documents to introduce the subject under discussion”