W4M

W4M is an acronym used in online dating and personal advertisements to indicate that a woman is seeking a man. The letters stand for “woman for man” (or, in plural form, “women for men”). It is commonly paired with M4W (“man for woman”) in the same listings, and the labels help identify the gender of the advertiser and the target of their search. The term has historical prominence on classified ad sites such as Craigslist, where users would place W4M postings to signal their interest in meeting men. Beyond classifieds, W4M may appear in dating-app bios, forums, or community boards that preserve traditional personal-ad formats.

On platforms that featured gender-based ad sections, W4M was part of a broader set of categories, including M4W and M4M, depending on locale. The use of such labels declined on some mainstream sites after shifts in moderation and changes to how dating and ads are organized, but W4M remains recognizable as part of the history of online dating and personal ads.

Cultural and social considerations accompany the term. Critics note that W4M relies on binary gender classifications, which may exclude non-binary or gender-nonconforming individuals. Proponents view it as a concise shorthand that can streamline searches. In contemporary dating, many platforms rely on profile bios and algorithms rather than rigid categories, though W4M is still referenced in discussions of dating history and ad-style communication.

See also M4W, personal ad, dating app.