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withdrawn; withdrew.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withdrawn; withdrew.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:
Rounds out mix w/ CH & SL, both w/ good shape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
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
We always played to w in, but just stuck to baseball.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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
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
Ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg got a lapful of Knicks sparkplug Jose Alvarado, Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing got the biggest Jumbotron cheers of the night, and San Antonio got a critical W.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Amid her rise to fame, Cooper struck up her connection with Kaplan in 2020 on a business Zoom call and began dating shortly after, according to W magazine.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
"W t's the Hand's tourney that's the cause of all the trou- I ble, my lords," the Commander of the City Watch A- complained to the king's council.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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
Prices w ere low and times were tough.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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
Hay gold-plated Phi scissors, 9" l.; $40. nest.co.uk, 011-44-1225-461-409 Paola C. Tulip carafe by Aldo Cibic, 8" w. x 5" d. x 9.5" 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
"A fuller understanding of brain aging requires research that reflects the world's social, cultural, and geographic diversity," said Arthur W. Toga, PhD, director of the Stevens INI and Provost Professor at USC.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald warned the gallery to “maintain decorum,” stating that the verdicts would be a “moment of either joy or grief.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
I was angry as I stood behind President George W. Bush at a mosque on September 17, 2001.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
A Dallas, Texas native, she also recalls teachers showing the video of then-President George W. Bush first learning about the attacks at an elementary school event.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
A battle raged between two titans: the professor Booker T. Washington and the brilliant, mercurial, and quarrelsome W. E. B. Du Bois.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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
Over a few talk sessions, I chronicled Dr. W's transgression, assuming Dr. Thakkar would take my side.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
“It’s time to start cashing in on W’s, and I think we have the group that can do it.”
From Washington Times ● Oct. 9, 2023
They'd known each other forever to say "W's up" and stuff, but they didn't start hanging till Newcharlie came home from Rahway.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
The deflated expression on his face is priceless when he advises his lost “reporters” to rely on the Five Ws of reporting, and one asks, “Is that a gang?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025
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
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
"You know, just talk. Say w's up. Ask him how his life is going. What kind of things he likes to do. Stuff like that."
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
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
Dumas denied that claim, saying it ws unclear whether the new information would have had a meaningful impact on Alseranai’s trial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2017
Manning ws in a men's prison for 7 yrs.
From Time ● Jan. 17, 2017
Testimony from all three officials ws marked mostly by attempts to disavow responsibility for the crisis.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2016
I pray to Jesu Chryst verray, For ws his blud that bled, To be our help on domisday Quhair lawis ar straitly led.
From Bulchevy's Book of English Verse by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
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.
