The short answer
In standard English, revert means “to go back to a previous state, condition, or belief” — it has nothing to do with answering someone. Using “revert” to mean “reply” or “respond” is a regional business-English habit found mainly in India and a few other South Asian countries. In international writing, exams, and formal emails, use reply or respond.
Wrong vs. Right (in standard English)
Indian Office English
Please revert with your feedback.
Standard English
Please reply with your feedback.
Indian Office English
I will revert once I check with my manager.
Standard English
I will respond once I check with my manager.
Indian Office English
Kindly revert on this at the earliest.
Standard English
Kindly reply to this at the earliest.
Indian Office English
She hasn't reverted to my email yet.
Standard English
She hasn't replied to my email yet.
Why This Happened
“Revert” meaning “reply” is not a random mistake — it grew out of decades of Indian legal and bureaucratic writing, where sentences like “the matter will revert to the committee for review” used the word correctly. Over time, professionals started using “I will revert to you” as a polite, formal-sounding way to say “I will reply to you” — and the usage spread across Indian, Singaporean, and Malaysian offices until it became completely normal there.
The problem is that outside these regions, “revert” still only carries its original meaning. An American, British, or Australian reader may genuinely not understand what “I will revert to you by Friday” means — or may read it as odd, even unprofessional, phrasing.
How to Use “Revert” Correctly
“Revert” is a perfectly good word — just not for replying. Here is its real meaning in action:
“The software reverted to its default settings after the crash.”
returned to an earlier state
“After the experiment, he reverted to his old habits.”
went back to a previous behaviour
“The land will revert to the government if unused for ten years.”
legal sense — ownership returns
“Please revert the file to yesterday's version.”
restore an earlier version
How this appears in SSC / office-English tests
Choose the correctly worded sentence for a formal international email:
(A) I will revert to you by tomorrow evening.
(B) I will reply to you by tomorrow evening. ✓ Correct
(C) I will revert back to you by tomorrow evening.
(D) I will revert on you by tomorrow evening.
Answer: (B) — “Reply” is understood everywhere. (A) uses “revert” non-standardly, (C) adds the redundant “back”, and (D) uses the wrong preposition.
Exam tip
For IELTS, interviews, and any writing meant for an international reader, treat “revert” as off-limits when you mean “reply”. Use “reply” for a direct answer, “respond” for a more formal tone, and “get back to you” for a friendly, spoken register. Never use “revert back” in any register — see the dedicated post below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it correct to say 'please revert' meaning 'please reply'?+
Not in standard international English. 'Revert' means 'to return to a former state or condition' — it has nothing to do with replying. Using 'revert' to mean 'reply' or 'respond' is a regional usage found in Indian, Singaporean, and some other South Asian workplaces. Global style guides and dictionaries like Oxford and Merriam-Webster do not list 'reply' as a primary meaning of 'revert'. In international emails, use 'reply' or 'respond' instead.
Why do Indians say 'revert' instead of 'reply'?+
The usage became common in Indian corporate and government English over decades, likely spreading through legal and bureaucratic writing where 'revert' already appeared often (e.g., 'the matter will revert to the committee'). Over time, professionals began using it as a shorthand for 'get back to you', and it is now so widespread in Indian offices that most speakers do not realise it differs from standard English.
What is the correct meaning of 'revert'?+
'Revert' means to return to a previous state, condition, belief, or practice. Correct examples: 'The system reverted to factory settings', 'He reverted to smoking after years of quitting', 'The property will revert to the original owner'. It describes going backward to something that already existed — never the act of replying.
Read Next
Why Is 'Revert Back' Wrong?
The redundancy error — a different mistake with the same word
Why Is 'Do the Needful' Wrong?
Another colonial-era Indian office-English phrase
Indian English Errors Hub
All Indianisms — why they exist and what to say instead
Error Spotting MCQs — 100 Questions
Practice sets 1–10, timed with scoring