IIRC
/eye-eye-ar-see/initialism
Meaning
IIRC is an initialism used before or after a statement to show that the writer believes it is accurate but is relying on memory rather than checking a source. It commonly means “if I remember correctly” or “if I recall correctly.”[1][3]
- 1. A hedge before a remembered fact: IIRC, the meeting starts at 3.
- 2. A qualification added after a claim to signal possible uncertainty: The update shipped in June, IIRC.
- 3. A casual invitation for correction when the writer is not fully certain.
Examples
“IIRC, the blue key opens the basement door.”
“That was her first album, IIRC.”
“IIRC the deadline got moved to Friday.”
“The recipe needs three eggs, IIRC.”
“IIRC, we already watched that episode.”
Origin and spread
IIRC is formed from the initial letters of “if I recall correctly,” with “if I remember correctly” also widely used as the expansion. The abbreviation belonged to the shorthand of early online discussion and was circulating on Usenet by August 1, 1997, when it appeared in a list of common internet abbreviations. A December 1998 Usenet discussion likewise listed both “If I Recall Correctly” and “If I Remember Correctly.” The available record establishes circulation by the late 1990s rather than proving a single inventor or exact point of origin.
How to use it
IIRC is informal and especially natural in messages, forums, comments, email, and other conversational writing. It usually makes a claim sound modest rather than evasive, but it should not replace checking an important fact. The initialism is pronounced letter by letter, and lowercase “iirc” is also common online.
