FWB

What Does FWB Mean in a Text?

The Growing Glossary of Dating Slang

If you're new to online dating, then I'm afraid there is whole new language with well over 250 terms for you to learn.

Particularly since the rise of the iKids, people have been far more open about their sexual preferences and desires, and this has generated a long glossary of new dating terms. Many sexual preferences are still abbreviated on dating sites, presumably with the idea that those who do not understand the term do not need to know it. That thinking does not help newcomers though. Here is the term you're looking for:

FWB means "Friends With Benefits."

More Observations...

The phrase "Friends With Benefits" refers to a couple who are good friends and, although they do not want a committed relationship with each other, enjoy sex together. The abbreviation FWB is typically used when discussing the relationship online or in text messages.

According to DrEd.com, 57% of respondents in a survey admitted to enjoying an "FWB relationship" at some point in their lives. The term "Friends With Benefits" may have first been coined by Alanis Morisette in her 1995 song "Head over Feet." (Although it could be argued that she was not referring to sex). "Friends With Benefits" is also the title of a 2011 film starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. FWB has pretty much the same meaning as BFFWB "Best Friends Forever With Benefits".

Image for FWB

When I write FWB, I mean this:

Being FWB can be risky.

Summary of Key Points

"Friends With Benefits" is, by far, the most common meaning for FWB when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

FWB
Definition:	Friends With Benefits
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of FWB in Sentences

Here are examples of FWB in conversations:

• Simon: Wow! Last night was fun!
• Kathleen: Too right. I think I like this FWB thing.

• Tim: I think I love you.
• Sam: But, we agreed to be FWB. Why do you want to spoil it?

An Academic Look at FWB

As it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Eff Dublyu Bee"), FWB is classified as an initialism abbreviation. Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are spoken like words. "Friends With Benefits" is a noun phrase i.e., a group of words that plays the role of a noun. The head word in a noun phrase will be a noun or pronoun. In this case, the noun "Friends" is the head word.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we would have just said "Friends With Benefits" instead of using the abbreviation FWB.

Example of FWB Used in a Text

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