Writing & StyleStyle guide
BCC Meaning in Email
BCC is an email-recipient field that hides the BCC recipient from the copies delivered to the other recipients. That visibility feature should not be confused with encryption or a broader privacy guarantee.
“BCC” means “blind carbon copy.” It sends a copy without showing that BCC recipient to the other recipients.
Key details
Core IssueBCC means blind carbon copy: it sends a copy to a recipient without exposing that recipient in the copies seen by the other recipients.
Phrase Roleemail recipient field
Registeremail and business correspondence
Important caveats
Privacy Boundary
BCC changes recipient visibility, not the sensitivity classification or security of the message itself.
Visibility Boundary
The BCC field and addresses placed in it do not appear in the copies sent to the other recipients.
Further guidance
Meaning
Cambridge defines bcc as blind carbon copy.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- BCC — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Email meaning of BCC/blind carbon copy and recipient-visibility boundary