The Meaning of BTW: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of BTW? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the abbreviation BTW, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the acronym BTW stand for?

According to Cyber Definitions and Urban Dictionary, the acronym BTW stands for by the way. This slang term is used in SMS text messages via mobile phones, on instant messaging chat services, and on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as a preamble or postamble to change the subject in a conversation. A preamble is when BTW is used before a sentence and a postamble is when BTW is used after a sentence.  Disclaimer: this piece of internet slang should only be used in casual scenarios where you would use similar terms like TTYL, TBH, or YW. This slang word is not appropriate to use in professional settings such as business e-mails or formal letters. It could be appropriate to use with a casual co-worker, but make sure you think before you use this for other common acronyms. 

According to The Free Dictionary, the acronym BTW can stand for much more than just by the way. This abbreviation has a plethora of other definitions, though many of these are less common. If you do decide to use one of these alternate definitions, make sure that you provide the reader or a listener with the proper context so that they can infer the correct intended meaning of the abbreviation BTW. This should be standard practice whenever you are using an acronym or abbreviation that has more than one potential meaning. 

  •     British Traditional Wicca
  •     Black Theatre Workshop (Canada)
  •     Beyond the Wall
  •     Belasting Toegevoegde Waarde (Dutch: value added tax)
  •     Books That Work
  •     Bridge the World
  •     Bring the Wine
  •     Be That Way (less common)
  •     Best to Worst (ranking)
  •     Business and Technical Writing
  •     Build the Wall
  •     Behind the Wheel
  •     Between the Wars
  •     Bundesverband der Deutschen Tourismuswirtschaft
  •     Bearing to Waypoint
  •     Back to Wall (toilet style)
  •     Border Terrier Welfare (UK registered charity)
  •     Before the War
  •     Better Than Wolves (gaming)
  •     Breaching the Web
  •     Below the Water
  •     Booker T. Washington (various locations)
  •     Buried Transuranic Waste
  •     Brothers of the Third Wheel (trikers organization)
  •     Bluetooth for Windows
  •     British Traditional Witchcraft
  •     Board Test Workshop
  •     Bite the Waffle
  •     Born This Way
  •     Business Travel World (trade magazine; UK)
  •     Big Time Wrestling (various locations)
  •     British Telecom Wholesale (UK)
  •     Bt Wholesale
  •     Beyond These Walls
  •     Bike This Way
  •     Blood Thirsty Warriors (gaming clan)
  •     Band-To-Wavelength
  •     Burlington Trailways Charters and Tours
  •     BioTech World
  •     Beyond Tears Worldwide (Christian humanitarian and development organization)
  •     Back To Work (shorthand used in email)
  •     Between
  •     By the Way (Red Hot Chili Peppers album)
  •     Boat Wave
  •     Breast Test Wales (Welsh breast cancer screening program)
  •     Bridging the Watershed (educational outreach program)
  •     Below the Waist
  •     Balls to the Wall
  •     Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld Sandpile (physics)
  •     Born to Win
  •     Belasting op Toegevoegde Waarde (Dutch: Tax On Added Value)
  •     Butuanon (SIL code, Philippines)
  •     Barbarian: Total War (game mod)
  •     Bring the Wheelchair (text slang)
  •     Between The Words

How can the acronym BTW be used in a sentence?

The acronym BTW can be used in many different casual contexts in the English language. Make sure that you only use this abbreviation in casual or informal settings. It is not appropriate to use slang terms like this or other acronyms in professional or formal settings, such as a polite letter or a business email. See below for a few examples of ways you can use BTW in a sentence. Try using this acronym in a sentence today – you never know, it might become one of your new favorite phrases! In this first example, Lizzie and Morgan are talking about their math test.

Lizzie: Ugh, I definitely failed. I didn’t know a single answer – I could barely understand the question!

Morgan: Oh please, you say that every time! Then you end up with a 100 percent.

Lizzie: BTW, Jake is staring at you. 

Morgan: OMG what? Really?

Lizzie: Uh, yeah, definitely!

In this example, Lizzie uses BTW to change the subject from the math test to the fact that Jake is staring at Morgan. In this next example, Lizzie and Morgan are working on their history project together.

Morgan: The Oregon Trail sounds like a real slog if you think about it. Dysentery? No thanks.

Lizzie: Sitting behind a horse’s butt for thousands of miles? Also no thanks.

Morgan: So true! I heard Mark and Jason talking about you today, BTW.

Lizzie: What were they saying?

Morgan: All good things! I think Mark might ask you to homecoming!

What are synonyms and antonyms for the abbreviation BTW?

There are many different words and phrases that a person can use in place of the abbreviation BTW. It is not always appropriate to use slang acronyms in professional or formal settings, so it is important to know synonyms for these types of acronyms. Synonyms are words and phrases that have the same definition as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is also a quick and easy way to expand your English language vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself in written or spoken English. This list of synonyms for the phrase by the way is provided by Thesaurus.

  •  parenthetically
  •  on the part of
  •  with reference to
  •  while on the subject
  •  speaking of
  •  in as much as
  •  apart from
  •  by the bye
  •  aside
  •  relating to
  •  in connection with
  •  as to
  •  in passing
  •  incidentally 

Overall, the slang term BTW means by the way. This casual slang term is used in text messages or on social media to signify a change of subject. This Acronym can be used at the beginning or the end of the sentence; this would be considered either a preamble or a postamble to the sentence. 

Sources: 

  1. BTW – What does BTW stand for? | The Free Dictionary 
  2. Btw | Urban Dictionary 
  3. BTW | Cyber Definitions
  4. BY THE WAY Synonyms: 13 Synonyms & Antonyms for BY THE WAY | ThesaurusÂ