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content warning

American

[kon-tent wawr-ning] / ˈkɒn tɛnt ˌwɔr nɪŋ /

noun

a stated warning that the content of the immediately following text, video, etc., may upset or offend some people: CW

Gee, thanks for the content warning for snakes, but it didn’t stop me from seeing those pictures on my Instagram timeline.

Etymology

Origin of content warning

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A university has issued a content warning for a literature module featuring Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, warning students it contains "distressing" material.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Still, some fans criticized the decision not to place a content warning at the start of either episode.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2023

Her author’s note serves as a brief content warning — one that is wholly merited, as the book touches on numerous sensitive but important topics.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023

A show that starts that way should come with a content warning: These clichés may hurt your teeth.

From New York Times • Nov. 7, 2022

Be wary that, as expected for a Game of Thrones spinoff, the series comes with a mature content warning.

From The Verge • Sep. 5, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023