W/ Meaning: Shorthand & Slang Usage, History & More (2024)

Co-authored byCandace Gasperand Dan Hickey

Last Updated: March 20, 2024Fact Checked

Things You Should Know

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1. “W/” is shorthand for “with” online or on paper. Even though “with” is already a short word, “W/” is still faster to write by hand and uses fewer characters when it’s typed out. It can be capitalized or lowercase (“w/”), and can appear without a slash (“w”) or with a period instead (“w.”).^[1] “W/” shows up in informal writing like text messages, social media, handwritten notes or instructions, recipes, apartment listings, or even casual Slack messages and emails at work.^[2]

   • “For rent: Renovated 1-bed apartment w/ great view of downtown”
   • “Chop 1 potato w/ skin on”
   • “Let’s ride w David since he’s leaving earlier.”
   • “I’m on my way to the store w. Karen”

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1. “W” (without a slash) can mean “win” or “winning” over text or online. If you see a plain “W” by itself or as part of a celebratory sentence in a text or on an app like TikTok or Twitter, chances are the user means “win” or “winning.”^[3] This meaning comes up almost exclusively online (although you might hear someone say something like “We got the ‘dub!” out loud, where “‘dub” is a shortening of “double-u”). Similarly, you might see “L” as shorthand for “loss” or “losing.”^[4]

   • “I got a promotion today! 🎉 Can I get a W in the group chat!?”
   • “Cubs get the W!”
   • Person A: “I got my driver’s license!”
     Person B: “W!”

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1. 1

   Type or write “W/” in place of “with” in informal communications. Use “W/” any time you’d use “with” in a sentence (it’s that flexible!). Type it when you’re posting on social media, texting, writing quick notes during class or a meeting, or leaving instructions for your dog sitter. Only abbreviate “with” in casual messages, though—it’s best to avoid it in formal or professional writing and use the full word “with.”^[5]

   • “Let’s go on a walk w/ Richard today!”
   • “Give my puppy her vitamin w/ dinner when you watch her”
2. 2

   Use “W/O” to mean “without.” Add an “O” after the slash in “W/” to form the abbreviation for “without” and use “w/o” the same way you’d use “w/.” Throw it in casual texts or messages, tweets or other social media posts, notes, instructions, or any other scenario where you need to save some space or characters.^[6]

   • “Are you ordering food? Get me a hotdog w/o ketchup please!”
   • “Hurry up or we’re leaving w/o you!”
3. 3

   Throw a “W” in the chat to celebrate a win over text or online. Reply to someone’s text with “W” or leave a “W” comment on a tweet or TikTok video to congratulate others. Post “W” by itself to use it as an exclamation (“Winning!”) or use it as part of a full sentence (“The Bears take the W!”). Try using some emojis to keep things fun and celebratory!^[7]

   • “Nice job at your track meet today. Congrats on your W!”
   • Them: “Here’s a pic of my outfit for the awards show!”
     You: “W!”

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1. “W/” probably came from handwritten fast food orders in the 1950s. As speed became more important for restaurant workers, servers began using shorthand to take orders by hand. “W/” and “W/O” were quick and easy to understand ways to say “with” and “without” when customers wanted to customize their meals by adding or taking off ingredients.^[8] Handwritten orders might say something like:^[9]

   • “1 burger w/o cheese”
   • “Cobb salad w/ extra dressing”

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