copy
“Copy” means “I hear you” or “got it.” It started as radio talk, as in “Do you copy?”, and now turns up in work chats and texts as a one-word reply.
What copy means
On a radio, to copy a transmission is to receive it clearly, so “Do you copy?” means “Can you hear me and did you get that?” The answer is “Copy” or “Copy that,” meaning understood. Wiktionary lists “roger that” as a synonym.
In a text or a Slack thread, a plain “copy” means the message landed and you’ll act on it. It reads brisk and a little military, which some people love and some find cold.
Copy, roger and 10-4
- Copy: I received your message.
- Roger: the same thing; Roger was once the radio code word for the letter R, short for “received.”
- 10-4: police and CB radio code for “okay, message received.”
Examples
- “Meeting moved to 4.” “Copy.”
- “Base, do you copy?” “Copy that, we’re on our way.”
- “Bring the charger when you come.” “Copy 👍”
Related terms
More quick replies are in our texting abbreviations guide.
Example sentence
“Can you pick up milk on the way home?” “Copy.”
Similar words
got it, roger, understood
Spotted a mistake, or heard copy used a different way? Tell us and we'll check it. Read how we write entries.