Dear RK:

You wrote:
> When is reconfirm to be used vs. confirm? My wife has been using reconfirm for everything and it’s driving me batty.
>
> Thanks.
>
I suppose I could say that your wife is right because you can never successfully argue with a woman… 😉

The prefix “re” does mean “back” or “again.” To reconfirm does literally mean to confirm again. Perhaps more common is the related “reaffirm,” as when a married couple reaffirm their wedding vows.

Having said that, there are a few word in English in which the “re” prefix no longer has the meaning it once had. For example, people now consider “reform” apart from its root meaning so that now we see “re-form” when someone means literally “to form or shape again,” and I have even heard educated people say “re-reform.” Another example is “replenish.” In that case, the word “replenish” has meant “to fill again” as well as simply “to fill” for about 500 years. I am not familiar with any similar use of “reconfirm.” You can check a dictionary to make sure.

I hope this helps.