What Does CW Mean in a Text?
The Quick Answer
The Quick Answer
CW usually means "Content Warning."More Detail...
It also means "Clockwise," "Calendar Week," "Chemical Warfare," "Chemical Weapons," and "Continuous Wave."Content Warning
The abbreviation CW is widely used online, especially on video sharing apps such as TikTok, to label images or videos that may illicit a strong or potentially harmful emotional response in viewers. Content that is typically labeled with CW includes (but is not limited to):- Cruelty to animals.
- Drug use.
- Eating disorders.
- Excessive or gratuitous violence.
- Mental illness.
- Pedophilia.
- Physical, verbal or emotional abuse.
- Pornography.
- Rape and sexual assault.
- Self-harm.
- Suicide.
Clockwise
CW is also used as an abbreviation of the term "clockwise" (i.e., in the direction in which the hands of a clock move, when viewed from the front).Calendar Week
In some parts of the world, including in many Asian and European countries, the weeks of the Gregorian calendar year are numbered. Most countries use a system based on the ISO week date system, which dictates that each week begins on a Monday and is associated with the year that contains that week's Thursday. However, some countries use slightly different systems and sometimes the week starts on a Sunday. For further information, check out the Wikipedia page on week numbering.Chemical Warfare or Chemical Weapons
In a military context, CW usually means "chemical warfare" or "chemical weapons." Chemical warfare is the use of the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy, using munitions or devices specifically designed to enable their release (chemical weapons). Chemical weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction and their use in armed conflict is a violation of international law.Continuous Wave
A continuous wave is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency. It may refer to a laser or particle accelerator having a continuous output, or to radio waves that continue with unchanging intensity or amplitude without modulation (such as those used in telegraphy to transmit Morse Code).Image for CW
When I write CW, I mean this:

CW means "Content Warning," as well as "Clockwise," "Calendar Week," "Chemical Warfare," "Chemical Weapons," and "Continuous Wave."
Summary of Key Points
We have summarized the key points in the table below:CW | |
---|---|
Definition: | Content Warning |
Type: | Abbreviation |
Guessability: | ![]() 4: Difficult to guess |
Typical Users: | ![]() Adults and Teenagers |
Second Definition for CW
"Clockwise" is another common definition for CW.CW | |
---|---|
Definition: | Clockwise |
Type: | Abbreviation |
Guessability: | ![]() 4: Difficult to guess |
Typical Users: | ![]() Adults and Teenagers |
Third Definition for CW
CW also means "Calendar Week."CW | |
---|---|
Definition: | Calendar Week |
Type: | Abbreviation |
Guessability: | ![]() 4: Difficult to guess |
Typical Users: | ![]() Adults and Teenagers |
Fourth Definition of CW
"Chemical Warfare" or "Chemical Weapons" is a common definition for CW in military and diplomatic circles.CW | |
---|---|
Definition: | Chemical Warfare or Chemical Weapons |
Type: | Abbreviation |
Guessability: | ![]() 3: Guessable |
Typical Users: | ![]() Adults |
Fifth Definition of CW
"Continuous Wave" is another definition for CW.CW | |
---|---|
Definition: | Continuous Wave |
Type: | Abbreviation |
Guessability: | ![]() 5: Extremely difficult to guess |
Typical Users: | ![]() Specialists |
An Academic Look at CW
CW is classified as an initialism abbreviation, as it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "See Dblyoo"). Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are abbreviations spoken as words (e.g., LOL, NATO).Example of CW Used in a Text
CW
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@@@ (warning of parents nearby)
7DAW (seven days a week)
AOW (all out war)
SW (sarcasm warning, sex worker, smoke weed, so what?, starting weight, Star Wars, still waiting, Stormwind)
TW/S* (trigger warning / suicide)
YBW (you've been warned)
YHBW (you have been warned)
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