auto-reply

noun

A feature in e-mail software that sends automatic replies, used for instance when the recipient of a message is on holiday.

“I'd like to be able to disable auto-reply for certain users.”

OriginEnglish reply ← New Latin automaticus ← Classical Latin automatum →
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Meanings

nounauto-reply (countable and uncountable, plural auto-replies)

plural auto-replies · alternative autoreply

  1. uncountableemailcomputingA feature in e-mail software that sends automatic replies, used for instance when the recipient of a message is on holiday.

    I'd like to be able to disable auto-reply for certain users.

  2. countableemailcomputingA message sent by this means.

    I sent an email to the school secretary, only to receive an auto-reply.

    1 more example

    If you have tried to accomplish work in August that requires outside assistance (work like scheduling, deal making, or, say, researching an article about out-of-office auto-replies), you probably ride this particular emotional roller coaster several times a day.

    2015 August 27, Emily Gould, “The Art of the Out-of-Office Reply”, in The New York Times
verbauto-reply (third-person singular simple present auto-replies, present participle auto-replying, simple past and past participle auto-replied)

present singular third person auto-replies · participle present auto-replying · participle past auto-replied · past auto-replied · alternative autoreply

  1. emailcomputingTo reply automatically.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  2. Proto-Indo-European*tó-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  5. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  6. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  7. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  8. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  9. Proto-Indo-European*men-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*mn̥tós
  11. Proto-Hellenic*mətós
  12. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos)
  13. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)
  14. Classical Latinautomatum
  15. New Latinautomaticus
  16. Englishautomaticclip.
  17. Englishauto-
  18. Englishreply
  19. Englishauto-reply

From auto- + reply.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 自動回復 /自动回复, 自動回復 /自动回复
  • 自動回復 /自动回复 (zìdòng huífù)feature in e-mail software
  • 自動回復 /自动回复 (zìdòng huífù)message sent by this means
Finnish automaattinen vastaustoiminto, automaattinen vastaus
  • automaattinen vastaustoimintofeature in e-mail software
  • automaattinen vastausmessage sent by this means
French réponse automatique, réponse automatique
  • réponse automatiquefeature in e-mail software
  • réponse automatiquemessage sent by this means
Portuguese resposta automática, resposta automática
  • resposta automáticafeature in e-mail software
  • resposta automáticamessage sent by this means
Spanish respuesta automática, respuesta automática
  • respuesta automáticafeature in e-mail software
  • respuesta automáticamessage sent by this means
Cite this entry
APA

auto-reply. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auto-reply

MLA

“auto-reply.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auto-reply. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “auto-reply,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auto-reply.

Source: auto-reply on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.