FYI

FYI means “for your information.” It flags something the other person should know, usually without expecting a reply.

How FYI is used

FYI is one of the few abbreviations that’s as at home in an office email as in a group chat. You put it in front of a piece of news, a heads-up or a link: “FYI, the meeting moved to 3.” It can also be a noun, as in “I’ll send you a quick FYI,” meaning a short note to keep someone in the loop.

Tone matters, though. “Just FYI” in front of a correction can sound pointed, as if you’re keeping score. In a neutral heads-up it’s perfectly polite.

Examples

• “FYI the store closes early today.”
• “Just fyi, she’s bringing her new boyfriend.”
• “Forwarding this as an FYI. No action needed.”

Older than the internet

FYI looks like texting shorthand, but it’s much older. The Oxford English Dictionary’s earliest record of it is from 1941, and the dictionary added it in March 2011 in the same update as LOL and OMG. At the time, the OED pointed out that many people assume these abbreviations are recent inventions when their histories go back much further. Merriam-Webster dates the noun sense, a brief note that keeps someone informed, to 1986.

FYI vs. BTW vs. ICYMI

• FYI: here’s something you should know.
• BTW: by the way, a side note or change of subject.
• ICYMI: in case you missed it, for something already shared.

Related terms

• TL;DR: the short version of a long message.
• LMK: let me know.
• BTW: by the way.

See more terms like this in our texting abbreviations guide.