To vs. CC — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 28, 2023
To" is used in email for the primary recipients of the message, whereas "CC," or Carbon Copy, is for secondary recipients who receive the message for their information.
Difference Between To and CC
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
In the realm of email communication, "To" and "CC" serve distinct roles to define the recipients of the message. "To" is intended for the primary recipients of the email, usually the individuals who are the main focus or are required to act upon the email's content. It typically implies a degree of responsibility on the part of the recipient to respond or take action regarding the email's subject matter.
On the other hand, "CC," which stands for Carbon Copy, is used to send the email to additional recipients beyond the primary ones, typically for informational purposes. Recipients in the "CC" field are not usually expected to take action or respond but are included to keep them informed of the contents of the email. They can see all the primary and secondary recipients of the email.
While the "To" field is used to address the main recipients who are the central focus of the communication, the "CC" field serves to include individuals who might benefit from the knowledge of the email but are not the central audience. This distinction helps in maintaining the clarity of communication and ensures that the right people are addressed properly according to the intent and content of the email.
Using "To" and "CC" effectively is crucial in professional communication. Proper use of these fields can avoid any miscommunication and ensures that the email reaches all the intended recipients with the clear understanding of their roles in the conversation, whether it is to take action as primary recipients or to be informed as secondary recipients.
Comparison Chart
Purpose
For primary recipients who are the main focus of the email.
For secondary recipients, typically for informational purposes.
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Action Expected
Recipients are usually expected to respond or take action.
Recipients are not generally expected to take action or respond.
Visibility
All recipients can see who the email is addressed "To".
All recipients can see who is CC'd on the email.
Level of Importance
Indicates high importance, as it is meant for the main audience
Indicates lesser importance, meant for recipients who are to be kept in the loop.
Use
When direct response or action is needed.
When people need to be informed but not necessarily act.
Compare with Definitions
To
Used for expressing purpose or intention.
They met to discuss the project.
Cc
Used to send a copy of an email to one or more secondary recipients.
I'll CC you on the email so you are in the loop.
To
In email communication, it denotes the primary recipient(s).
She addressed the email to her manager.
Cc
A method to keep secondary recipients informed of an email conversation.
Please CC me on all correspondence regarding this matter.
To
Expressing motion in the direction of (a particular location)
We're going to a party
Walking down to the shops
My first visit to Africa
Cc
A carbon copy of a document.
To
Approaching or reaching (a particular condition)
Christopher's expression changed from amazement to joy
She was close to tears
Cc
To send (someone) a carbon copy of a document.
To
Identifying the person or thing affected by or receiving something
You were terribly unkind to her
They donated £400 to the hospice
I am deeply grateful to my parents
Cc
Initialism of carbon copy
To
Identifying a particular relationship between one person and another
He's economic adviser to the president
He is married to his cousin Emma
Cc
Initialism of closed caption
To
Indicating that two things are attached or linked
They are inextricably linked to this island
He had left his dog tied to a drainpipe
Cc
Initialism of courtesy copy
To
Concerning or likely to concern (something)
A threat to world peace
A reference to Psalm 22:18
Cc
Initialism of cubic centimeter
To
Used to introduce the second element in a comparison
The club's nothing to what it once was
Cc
Abbreviation of chapters
To
Placed before a debit entry in accounting.
Cc
Init of carbon copy
To
So as to be closed or nearly closed
He pulled the door to behind him
Cc
Init of crowd control
Just cc him, bro.
To
In a direction toward so as to reach
Went to the city.
Cc
A metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a liter
To
Towards
Turned to me.
Cc
Being ten more than one hundred ninety
To
Reaching as far as
The ocean water was clear all the way to the bottom.
Cc
An abbreviation for Carbon Copy in email communication.
He sent the email to the team and CC'd the manager.
To
To the extent or degree of
Loved him to distraction.
Cc
Does not require the recipients listed to take action.
You can CC the helpdesk on this email, but they don’t need to respond.
To
With the resultant condition of
Nursed her back to health.
Cc
Makes all recipients visible to one another unless BCC is used.
She decided to CC the whole team so everyone would have the information.
To
Toward a given state
Helping minority women to economic equality.
To
In contact with; against
Their faces pressed to the windows.
To
In front of
Stood face to face.
To
Used to indicate appropriation or possession
Looked for the top to the jar.
To
Concerning; regarding
Waiting for an answer to my letter.
To
In a particular relationship with
The brook runs parallel to the road.
To
As an accompaniment or a complement of
Danced to the tune.
To
Composing; constituting
Two cups to a pint.
To
In accord with
Job responsibilities suited to her abilities.
To
As compared with
A book superior to his others.
To
Before
The time is ten to five.
To
Up till; until
Worked from nine to five.
To
For the purpose of
Went out to lunch.
To
In honor of
A toast to the queen.
To
Used before a verb to indicate the infinitive
I'd like to go.
To
Used alone when the infinitive is understood
Go if you want to.
To
Used to indicate the relationship of a verb with its complement
Refer to a dictionary.
Refer me to a dictionary.
To
Used with a reflexive pronoun to indicate exclusivity or separateness
Had the plane to ourselves.
To
In one direction; toward a person or thing
Owls with feathers wrong end to.
To
Into a shut or closed position
Pushed the door to.
To
Into a state of consciousness
The patient came to.
To
Into a state of action or attentiveness
Sat down for lunch and fell to.
To
(Nautical) Into the wind.
To
Indicating destination: In the direction of, so as to arrive at.
We are walking to the shop.
To
Used to indicate the target or recipient of an action.
I gave the book to him.
I spoke to him earlier.
He devoted himself to education.
They drank to his health.
To
Used to indicate result of action.
His face was beaten to a pulp.
To
Used to indicate a resulting feeling or emotion.
To everyone's great relief, the tuneless carol singers finally ceased their warbling.
To
Used after an adjective to indicate its application.
Similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking.
To
Denotes the end of a range.
It takes 2 to 4 weeks to process typical applications.
To
As a.
With God to friend (with God as a friend);
With The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe);
Lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice);
Took her to wife (took her as a wife);
Was sold to slave (was sold as a slave).
To
Used to indicate a ratio or comparison; compared to, as against.
One to one = 1:1
Ten to one = 10:1.
I have ten dollars to your four.
To
(arithmetic) Used to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation.
Three squared or three to the second power is nine.
Three to the power of two is nine.
Three to the second is nine.
To
(time) Preceding the next hour.
What's the time? – It's quarter to four in the afternoon (or 3:45 pm).
To
(informal) Often used without the hour
It’s quarter to (3:45, or 4:45, or whatever time ending in 45 would make the most sense)
To
Used to describe what something consists of or contains.
Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it.
There's a lot of sense to what he says.
The name has a nice ring to it.
To
According to
Our holiday did not go to plan.
To
At.
Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y.
Where are you to?
To
(regionalism) Toward a closed, touching or engaging position.
Please push the door to.
To
(nautical) Into the wind.
To
The preposition to primarily indicates approach and arrival, motion made in the direction of a place or thing and attaining it, access; and also, motion or tendency without arrival; movement toward; - opposed to from.
Stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.
So to the sylvan lodgeThey came, that like Pomona's arbor smiled.
I'll to him again, . . . He'll tell me all his purpose.She stretched her arms to heaven.
To
Hence, it indicates motion, course, or tendency toward a time, a state or condition, an aim, or anything capable of being regarded as a limit to a tendency, movement, or action; as, he is going to a trade; he is rising to wealth and honor.
To
In a very general way, and with innumerable varieties of application, to connects transitive verbs with their remoter or indirect object, and adjectives, nouns, and neuter or passive verbs with a following noun which limits their action. Its sphere verges upon that of for, but it contains less the idea of design or appropriation; as, these remarks were addressed to a large audience; let us keep this seat to ourselves; a substance sweet to the taste; an event painful to the mind; duty to God and to our parents; a dislike to spirituous liquor.
Marks and points out each man of us to slaughter.
Whilst they, distilledAlmost to jelly with the act of fear,Stand dumb and speak not to him.
Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
I have a king's oath to the contrary.
Numbers were crowded to death.
Fate and the dooming gods are deaf to tears.
Go, buckle to the law.
To
As sign of the infinitive, to had originally the use of last defined, governing the infinitive as a verbal noun, and connecting it as indirect object with a preceding verb or adjective; thus, ready to go, i.e., ready unto going; good to eat, i.e., good for eating; I do my utmost to lead my life pleasantly. But it has come to be the almost constant prefix to the infinitive, even in situations where it has no prepositional meaning, as where the infinitive is direct object or subject; thus, I love to learn, i.e., I love learning; to die for one's country is noble, i.e., the dying for one's country. Where the infinitive denotes the design or purpose, good usage formerly allowed the prefixing of for to the to; as, what went ye out for see? (Matt. xi. 8).
Then longen folk to go on pilgrimages,And palmers for to seeken strange stranders.
To
In many phrases, and in connection with many other words, to has a pregnant meaning, or is used elliptically.
We ready are to try our fortunesTo the last man.
Few of the Esquimaux can count to ten.
To
Effect; end; consequence; as, the prince was flattered to his ruin; he engaged in a war to his cost; violent factions exist to the prejudice of the state.
Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.
To
Accord; adaptation; as, an occupation to his taste; she has a husband to her mind.
He to God's image, she to his was made.
To
Comparison; as, three is to nine as nine is to twenty-seven; it is ten to one that you will offend him.
All that they did was piety to this.
To
Addition; union; accumulation.
Wisdom he has, and to his wisdom, courage.
To
Accompaniment; as, she sang to his guitar; they danced to the music of a piano.
Anon they moveIn perfect phalanx to the Dorian moodOf flutes and soft recorders.
To
Character; condition of being; purpose subserved or office filled.
Made his masters and others . . . to consider him to a little wonder.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow;Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.
There was great showing both to and fro.
To
A preposition used for expressing motion or direction.
He went to the store.
To
Used for expressing contact or proximity.
She pressed her ear to the door.
To
Indicates the recipient in various applications.
He sent a gift to her.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
