What does cc and bcc mean in emailing terms?

Answer 1

CC stands for courtesy copy used for addressees that are not intended as primary ones and BCC for blind courtesy copy for hidden addressees.

Answer 2

CC and BCC are shorthand for "Carbon Copy" and "Blind Carbon Copy."

The phrase "carbon copy" is taken from the old days of typewriters and before copiers when a piece of carbon paper and blank paper were put underneath the top sheet that was used for typing. Every impression made on the top sheet made a carbon copy on to the blank sheet underneath.

CC means carbon copy. In the 'ancient' days before computers, people used typewriters. People would put a piece of white paper in the typewriter and whenever they hit a key on the keyboard, a key would hit an inked ribbon which then (with the key still pushing on it) hit the white paper and printed a letter on it.

They could take two sheets of paper and insert a sheet of carbon paper between them and make two copies. So making two copies was called making a carbon copy. The name remained when sending additional copies on computers. Technically it is not really a carbon copy made with a piece of carbon paper. However, like so much in the English Language, it is an old word used in a new context. It means sending a duplicate copy.

CC is used to send a copy of an email to other recipients than those listed in the "To:" line at the same time you are sending it to the primary recipient (i.e. those on the "To:" line). When you use the "BCC:" field, those in the BCC field also get a copy, but other recipients of the email do not see those included in the BCC field - they are "blind" to them, hence "Blind Carbon Copy". The difference between including someone's email address in the "To:" box and the "CC:" or "BCC:" box is, according to etiquette, how you want them to respond. If someone is in the "To:" box, they are a part of the dialog and you are either responding to a previous message from them or a response may be expected. Including someone in the "CC:" or "BCC:" box is simply keeping them in the information loop and a response is not necessarily expected.

Answer 3

'to' in an email refers to the main addressees.
'cc' refers to others, who should also know about your information.
'bcc' refers to 'blind copy'. A blind copy is sent to the addressees listed under 'bcc'. These addressees are not seen by recipients listed in the 'to' and 'cc' fields.
example:
you can't come to work that next Monday because of the weekend's bachelor party.
You send an email to your boss ('to' addressee) and copy the HR manager ('cc'). You also want to inform your colleague who works at the same company, but different location, to let them know you are preparing accordingly. You can put him/her into the 'bcc' field, so your boss and the HR manager won't know that you also sent the email to private friends.

Answer 4

CC is carbon copy which is the exact same thing as the original email and BCC is blind carbon copy which means they cannot see the people it was sent to.

Answer 5

The term CC means "Carbon Copy"

The term BCC means "Blind Carbon Copy" so as the recipient will not see the BCC :-)

Answer 6

What is cc/bcc