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withdrawn; withdrew.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withdrawn; withdrew.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
symbol
-
watt
-
West
-
physics work
-
chem tungsten
-
women's (size)
w.
2
British
abbreviation
-
week
-
weight
-
width
-
wife
-
with
-
cricket
-
wide
-
wicket
-
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:
Romano’s Macaroni Grill is offering Spaghetti & Meatballs w/ Pomodoro Sauce on its Feb. 14th menu.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
We have good confidence in Thur/Thur night w a front passage, but low confidence Fri-Sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 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
Mr. G—ing would look about him and w ould proclaim the joyous equality of all, the liberty that would soon overtake us.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Three years later, the White House claimed that President George W Bush would spend Thanksgiving in Texas, only to arrive in Baghdad in a blacked-out Air Force One.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Appeared in the August 11, 2026, print edition as 'WNBA Asks: What Is a W?'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
As Europe pushes for more tech sovereignty, social network W believes it has the X-factor to win users away from other platforms: it's European.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Cooper told W that that her “really great dynamic” and communication with Kaplan helped change her views on tying the knot.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Z seemed mean, X wicked; and W always made her yawn.
From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman
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
The university’s “leadership must do everything they can to avoid creating a violent scenario here. These are your students w/ zero weapons,” Khan said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2024
“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
“It’s just, I remember it differently . . . Tom, when you saw me, w as I hurt? Was I . . . Did I have a cut on my head?”
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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
Rose & Fitzgerald Cow Horn whiskey tumblers, 3" w. x 4" h.;
From Architectural Digest ● Dec. 1, 2014
Screen print of Sweet Dreams, Baby! by Roy Lichtenstein, 35.5" h. x 25.5" w.;
From Architectural Digest ● Oct. 8, 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
The project is co-directed by W. Scott McGraw, professor and chair of anthropology at Ohio State and senior author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
He was also chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the George W. Bush White House, where he worked with a young Warsh, also a Bush adviser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Because Karoline’s boss is so vociferous, she is vociferous,” Ari Fleischer, the press secretary under Republican George W. Bush, observed after her first year.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Rather than leave the Westlake neighborhood, the owners spent months fundraising and searching for another location before settling on 1403 W. 3rd St., about a half-mile from the original location.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Then Ms. W. came into my head and I knew it didn’t really matter.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Goldin believes that TV deal should have been worth more for the WNBA, especially given the W’s increase in recent years in attendance and viewership.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
There are two L’s in Collin and there are also two W’s — as in major championship victories at the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025
Known for its rich antioxidants and healing benefits, it also plays a starring role in the W's eco-conscious bar offerings.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2025
But this team is in win-now mode, and the W’s look primed to roll in.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
But later on, once he started working full-time and taking care of me, people started showing him respect, saying, "W's up, Ty," when he came home in the evening.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
Wickens capped the week with three Ws — wins at Watkins Glen and his home track in Toronto, as well as the birth of son, Wesley.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
Starters on teams that score a lot of runs early in games and that have strong bullpens to hold leads rack up the Ws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
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
The boys wore white sweaters with big purple Ws emblazoned on them.
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
His th's slurred together, and his w’s started sounding like v’s.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
That came after the woman ws seen leaving her home and taking a city bus to a local casino, the filing said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2023
On stage ws a comic who looked like an inflated ex-middleweight fighter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2017
Nordstrom issued a statement Wednesday reiterating its decision ws based on business, not politics.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2017
Manning ws in a men's prison for 7 yrs.
From Time ● Jan. 17, 2017
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
