Meaning
What does FWIW mean?
FWIW is a text acronym, that may convey several meanings, the most common being the well-known disclaimer before advices; “For What It’s Worth”.
Other significations of the abbreviation may be “For Whoever Is Wondering”, “From What I’ve Witnessed” as well as the feeling we get when we are smashed, as hell “Forgot Where I Was”.
All may be used; depending on the context we type in these four characters, though “For What It’s Worth” is indeed the unofficial main signification of the letters.
Origin
What's the origin of FWIW?
Like most other text abbreviations, this one’s origin is also shrouded in the fog, surrounding the early days of the internet, but it was most likely created in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the advent of internet and SMS messaging culture.
Spread & Usage
How did FWIW spread?
The acronym is well known and is often encountered in chatrooms, forums, but the natural habitat of the term is still text messages, where people save time from their precious lives by typing four characters instead of four words.
It is present on Urban Dictionary from 2003, with several definitions being added later. We may also find several other dictionary sites, defining the term.
External resources
- Cambridge Dictionary – FWIW
- How To Geek – What Does “FWIW” Mean, and How Do You Use It?