w
abbreviation
watt; watts.
w
1 Americanabbreviation
-
watt; watts.
-
withdrawn; withdrew.
-
withheld.
W
2
American
[duhb-uhl-yoo, -yoo, duhb-yuh]
/ ˈdʌb əlˌju, -jʊ, ˈdʌb jə /
Or
w
noun
-
W's,
plural
-
Ws,
plural
-
w's,
plural
-
ws
plural
-
the 23rd letter of the English alphabet, a semivowel.
-
any spoken sound represented by the letter W or w, as in way, bewitch, or row.
-
something having the shape of a W .
-
a written or printed representation of the letter W or w.
-
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter W or w.
W
3
American
abbreviation
-
watt; watts.
-
west.
-
western.
-
white.
-
wide.
-
widowed.
-
width.
-
withdrawn; withdrew.
-
withheld.
W
4
American
w/
5
American
abbreviation
w.
6
American
abbreviation
-
warden.
-
warehouse.
-
water.
-
watt; watts.
-
week; weeks.
-
weight.
-
west.
-
western.
-
wide.
-
width.
-
wife.
-
with.
-
won.
-
Physics. work.
W.
7
American
abbreviation
-
Wales.
-
warden.
-
warehouse.
-
Washington.
-
watt; watts.
-
Wednesday.
-
weight.
-
Welsh.
-
west.
-
western.
-
width.
-
Physics. work.
w.
1
British
abbreviation
-
week
-
weight
-
width
-
wife
-
with
-
cricket
-
wide
-
wicket
-
W
2
British
symbol
-
watt
-
West
-
physics work
-
chem tungsten
-
women's (size)
W.
3
British
abbreviation
-
Wales
-
Welsh
w
4
British
/ ˈdʌbəlˌjuː /
noun
-
the 23rd letter and 18th consonant of the modern English alphabet
-
a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually a bilabial semivowel, as in web
w
Scientific
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of W
W 3 def. 3 from German Wolfram wolfram
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.
See Examples For:
We have good confidence in Thur/Thur night w a front passage, but low confidence Fri-Sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025
The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
One commenter wrote: "can someone explain to me what is up w my search recs pls?"
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
“Never eaten here but it’s getting five stars from me because Kendrick is the GOAT! From California w/ Love,” wrote one Yelp reviewer.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2024
Behind us, a man w as pushing his way out of the store.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
ABS challenges produce an infinitesimal W or L, a momentary shot of euphoria or thin slice of humble pie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Speaking to W Magazine last year, she said the song was written after "I'd had a lot of red wine".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
But no comparable method had been proposed or experimentally demonstrated for the W state, another important type of entangled multi-photon state.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
Appeared in the August 11, 2026, print edition as 'WNBA Asks: What Is a W?'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Robert W was fun to hang around with too, but I think the main reason I wanted to be friends with him was because his name was Robert.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
We have good confidence in Thur/Thur night w a front passage, but low confidence Fri-Sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025
The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
One commenter wrote: "can someone explain to me what is up w my search recs pls?"
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
“Never eaten here but it’s getting five stars from me because Kendrick is the GOAT! From California w/ Love,” wrote one Yelp reviewer.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2024
A ring, on water, w here a stone’s been thrown.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
The same seller, also listed a "hand-signed Christmas Card from 2002 featuring photo of the King w. Princes William & Harry", whose current bid is for 160 pounds.
From Reuters ● Sep. 12, 2022
Chef Julia Child posing w. assorted rolling pins.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2022
Snowy Owl, after John James Audubon, hand-colored engraving by Robert Havell, sheet size 26" w. x 38.75" h.;
From Architectural Digest ● Feb. 9, 2015
Rose & Fitzgerald Cow Horn whiskey tumblers, 3" w. x 4" h.;
From Architectural Digest ● Dec. 1, 2014
“I know that! But I’ve seen it a hundred times. I wouldn’t spell Quest with a w. I know it’s a w.”
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Democrats gained nine House seats in 1934, while Bill Clinton's party picked up four in 1998 and George W. Bush's Republicans gained eight in 2002.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
George W. Bush spent as much time as possible at the West Texas ranch he bought just before assuming the presidency.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
"There is a major unmet need in osteoarthritis," says the study's principal investigator and Charles W. Ohse Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Chuan-Ju Liu, PhD.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
It’s a good time to revisit Alec Nevala-Lee’s 2018 book, “Astounding,” largely a biography of John W. Campbell, guru of the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
“They have no doubt written letters which Miss W., for her own safety, has withheld.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Players, meanwhile, can’t help but see the W’s upward track and argue a substantial raise is due.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
Ultimately, I realized that taking control of my health and well-being was my job, and looking for Dr. W's replacement saved me.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
But this team is in win-now mode, and the W’s look primed to roll in.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
In another post, he said, “Today was a great day I took none but W’s all day.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
I eyed them, and one of them eyed me back, then said, "W's up."
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
The dual backdrops — both featuring gold block Ws and assorted sponsorships — were identical in every way but one:
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
I can think of the acronym as the five Ws, if you will.
From The Verge ● Mar. 22, 2022
Making Vs into Ws, like vodka becoming wodka—that’s rarely the case.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2021
"These aren’t beautiful paintings that we’re creating here, but they’re ending up in Ws," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said.
From Fox News ● Jan. 2, 2021
A handful of older boys were there too, leaning against the building in white jerseys emblazoned with large purple Ws, their arms crossed, sizing up the newcomers.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Finally, ties were broken based on things like which word was the most fun to say or whether any of the word choices included especially cool letters like z’s or w’s.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2015
This time round, after Mat Latos tore knee cartilage before the season began, Simon moved into the rotation, racked up a dozen w's and has posted an ERA of 2.70.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 10, 2014
Patrick’s breathing had become even more labored and Dr. Nadas said, “Welton, we go see the president” — his Hungarian accent turning the w’s into v’s.
From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2013
For future copy editors of academic histories of mass media, that's two syllables, hyphen optional, and three w's, not in a row.
From Time ● Feb. 18, 2010
Anyway, sometimes o makes the ow sound even when the w’s not there, like in note.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
On stage ws a comic who looked like an inflated ex-middleweight fighter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2017
Manning ws in a men's prison for 7 yrs.
From Time ● Jan. 17, 2017
I still think its a stupid sport but this ws a good story.
From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2016
Testimony from all three officials ws marked mostly by attempts to disavow responsibility for the crisis.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2016
But during the suspension of coin payment there ws no such liability.
From Recollections of Forty Years in the House, Senate and Cabinet An Autobiography. by John Sherman
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