wdy

Writing & Everyday abbreviation · Proofreading and Correction Mark

wdy
Stands forWordy
CategoriesWriting & Everyday

wdy stands for Wordy, a proofreading and correction mark abbreviation.

Indicates that a sentence uses more words than needed, such as "due to the fact that" for "because" or "in order to" for "to." Editors and teachers use it to encourage concise writing.

Example: Beside "At this point in time, it is important to note that," the instructor wrote wdy.

Usage notes

Also written "wrdy" or "wordy." Common sources of wordiness include redundant pairs ("each and every"), empty openers ("There are many people who") and nominalizations ("make a decision" for "decide"). Strunk and White's advice "Omit needless words" sums up the principle.

More proofreading and correction mark abbreviations

  • AA – Author's alteration
  • agr – Agreement error
  • AQ – Author query
  • awk – Awkward
  • bf – Boldface
  • caps – Capitals
  • CS – Comma splice
  • DM – Dangling modifier
  • frag – Sentence fragment
  • FS – Fused sentence
  • ital – Italics
  • lc – Lowercase

See all 29 proofreading and correction mark abbreviations →

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