CC Meaning in Email
CC is the email carbon-copy field for additional visible recipients. This guide owns the field meaning; verb spelling such as “cc’d” remains a separate canonical intent.
“CC” means “carbon copy.” Use the CC field for additional visible recipients who should receive the message but are not the primary addressee.
Key details
Important caveats
Verb Boundary
This page covers the field/meaning; the existing CC’d/CCed/Cc’d guide separately covers how to inflect the verb “cc.”
Visibility Boundary
CC recipients are visible in the normal recipient information, unlike BCC recipients.
Further guidance
Meaning
Cambridge defines cc as carbon copy in letters and email.
Practical Application
Use the CC field for people who should receive a visible copy but are not the primary addressee. Keep action requests directed to the main recipient clear, and avoid copying people merely to signal status or pressure.
Reader Check
Does every CC recipient have a legitimate need for the information, and is it obvious who owns the requested action?
Worked Example
Address the project owner in “To,” put the finance reviewer in “CC” when they only need visibility, and state the action for the project owner in the message body.
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.
- cc — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Dictionary definition of cc as noun and verb in email/business correspondence