BW

Abbreviation with 3 meanings

BW
Stands for	Botswana
Meanings	3
Categories	Geography & Places, Law & Legal, Sports

BW has three meanings. The most common are Botswana (country code) and Bench warrant (criminal law); it can also stand for Bodyweight.

Meanings of BW at a glance

#	BW stands for	Context
1	Botswana	Geography & Places › Country Code
2	Bench warrant	Law & Legal › Criminal Law
3	Bodyweight	Sports › Fitness and Exercise

1. Botswana

Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations

Botswana, a stable democracy since independence in 1966 and one of the world's largest diamond producers, has Gaborone as its capital and BWA as its alpha-3 code. The Okavango Delta is a famous wildlife area.

Example: The safari lodge's booking system lists the property address as Maun, BW.

Botswana has held regular elections since independence from Britain in 1966. The pula, its currency, means rain in Setswana.

2. Bench warrant

Law & Legal · Criminal Law Abbreviations

Arrest warrant issued by a judge from the bench, usually because a defendant or witness failed to appear in court or to obey a court order such as paying fines. It authorizes police to take the person into custody and bring them before the court.

Example: A BW issued when he missed his sentencing date, and he was picked up at a traffic stop.

Some states, notably Florida and Virginia, call it a capias. Bench warrants generally do not expire and can surface at any later police contact. Many courts let people clear a bench warrant by appearing voluntarily, often with less serious consequences than being arrested on it.

3. Bodyweight

Sports · Fitness and Exercise Abbreviations

Exercise performed using only the body's own weight as resistance, such as push-ups, pull-ups and air squats, or a load expressed relative to body weight, as in "squat 1.5x BW".

Example: Warm-up: BW squats, lunges and push-ups, two rounds.

Strength standards are often stated in multiples of bodyweight, such as a deadlift of twice BW. Calisthenics is the discipline built around bodyweight training. In some contexts BW also means black and white.

More country code abbreviations

BS – Bahamas
BT – Bhutan
BUL – Bulgaria
BV – Bouvet Island
BY – Belarus
BZ – Belize
CA – Canada
CC – Cocos (Keeling) Islands

See all 270 country code abbreviations →

More criminal law abbreviations

ADW – Assault with a deadly weapon
ARD – Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition
B&E – Breaking and entering
BOP – Federal Bureau of Prisons
CDS – Controlled dangerous substance
CI – Confidential informant
CO – Correctional officer
COA – Certificate of appealability

See all 46 criminal law abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.

BW