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What does 'RE means when referencing to something?

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  • I always thought it was shorthand for "Regarding:"
    – Eric Hauenstein
    Aug 25, 2015 at 20:22
  • What does RE stand for? abbreviations.com/RE
    – user66974
    Aug 25, 2015 at 20:26
  • (Uncapitalized) re is a word in and of itself, defined by OED as Originally: in the matter of, referring to; Subsequently: about, concerning. It derives from classical Latin rē, ablative of rēs thing, affair, and in the original usage as defined above, it was "short for" Latin in re.
    – FumbleFingers
    Aug 26, 2015 at 16:17

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It's not an abbreviation. It's from the Latin phrase in re meaning "In the matter of" that in English usage has been shortened (and on printed forms, often capitalized) to just RE:

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    The "in re" wording is still used in certain areas of U.S. law, perhaps most notably in the area of wills and estates, where adjudicated cases bear names such as In re Estate of Gardiner.
    – Sven Yargs
    Aug 25, 2015 at 22:45
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It comes from the Latin res meaning "thing" and means "in the matter of" or "regarding"

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  • Not exactly 'comes from': it is the word res, in the ablative case.
    – Tim Lymington
    Aug 25, 2015 at 21:55

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