W/

What Does W/ Mean?

W/ means "With."

The abbreviation W/ (usually typed w/) is used to replace the word "with," as in "accompanied by" or "in addition to."

Although its origin is contested, w/ has been used at least since the rise of the fast-food industry in the 1950s. As a form of shorthand to save time when writing down food orders, waiters replaced the words "with" and "without" with the abbreviations w/ and w/o .

Since that time, the use of w/ as an abbreviation of "with" has become much more widely used. For example:
  • Ali: Hey, you have something on your chin... no, the 3rd one down.
  • Sam: Why don't you go and swim w/ the sharks?
  • Robbie: Will you go for a drink w/ me?
  • Susie: Can I bring my BF w/ me?

Image for W/

When I write W/, I mean this: meaning of W/ Burger w/ chips.

Video Summarizing W/

Here's a short video explaining the origins of w/ and w/o.

Summary of Key Points

"With" is the most common definition for W/ on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
W/
Definition:With
Type:Abbreviation
Guessability:
2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:
Adults and Teenagers

More...

An Academic Look at W/

W/ is classified as a cyber term as opposed to an initialism abbreviation or an acronym.

Cyber term were introduced for brevity, but, particularly with the advent of predictive texting and on-screen keyboards, they are now mostly employed for fun.

Cyber terms differ from icons because they are not pictorial representations.

Grammatically, w/ is used to replace the preposition with. For example:
  • She saw the dog w/ the ball.
    • (Here, w/ is a preposition showing the relationship between the words dog and ball.)

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

The use of w/ to mean "with" long pre-dates the digital era.

Example of W/ Used in a Text

W/

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See Also

Learn how to insert special punctuation symbols DWI (Deal With It) GLWT (Good Luck With That) GOWM (Go Out With Me) GWI (Get With It) WIV (With) WIWWU (Wish I Was With You) WRT (With Regard To)