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withdrawn; withdrew.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withdrawn; withdrew.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
abbreviation
-
Wales
-
Welsh
w
3
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
4
British
symbol
-
watt
-
West
-
physics work
-
chem tungsten
-
women's (size)
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
One commenter wrote: "can someone explain to me what is up w my search recs pls?"
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
Early this morning, HSI Los Angeles w/ @EROLosAngeles & partners from the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force conducted an enforcement operation in an underground nightclub.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 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
“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
Former Presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden were introduced ahead of the Obamas during the celebratory event.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 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
He straightened in his chair and stretched back, making a giant W with an arm up on either side of his head.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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
In fact, it’s doing exactly the opposite; when I leave their house I run home, can’t wait to strip my clothes off and get into the shower and w ash the baby smell off me.
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
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
When John W. Rogers Jr., the stepson of Johnson’s early lawyer, created Ariel Investments, the first Black-owned mutual-fund company in the U.S.,
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The Obama and George W. Bush administrations together filed just eight petitions in 16 years.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
“I‘m very concerned about it,” said Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor who served as the chief ethics attorney in President George W. Bush’s White House.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Now 15, she has carried on a lonely legal fight to compete on her school’s track team in Bridgeport, W. Va.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Amid this garish corruption, W. W. Vaughan, a fifty-four-year-old attorney who lived in Pawhuska, tried to act with decency.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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
Over a few talk sessions, I chronicled Dr. W's transgression, assuming Dr. Thakkar would take my side.
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
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
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
It takes a full rotation of that world for her to drawl out all those Ws.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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
For many there, it ws a second displacement in less than a year.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
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
Saith, “ſhire, fore to declare our entent Vpone this matere, ye wil ws delay 424 Fore to awyſing one to the ix day.”
From Lancelot of the Laik A Scottish Metrical Romance by Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William)
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.
