YWCA

noun

ˌwī-ˌdə-bəl-yu̇-(ˌ)sē-ˈā

-ˌdə-bə-yu̇-

: an international organization that promotes the spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical welfare originally of young women

—usually used with the

a member of the YWCA

—sometimes shortened informally to the Y

Examples of YWCA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

As dusk settles over Minneapolis, something unexpected appears on the side of the YWCA building. — Derek James, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026 The evening will feature Mexican food, games of chance, a raffle and the announcement of scholarship and legacy award winners, according to the YWCA website. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 It's meant to expedite families' placement in a living shelter like Bethany House or YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, Beach said. — Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Feb. 2026 Just last month, YWCA NorthEastern NY broke ground on a $50 million project to upgrade 35 existing units and build 54 new ones. — Cordell Cleare, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for YWCA

Word History

Etymology

Young Women's Christian Association

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of YWCA was in 1876

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

Yverdon

YWCA

YWHA

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“YWCA.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/YWCA. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

YWCA

noun

ˌwī-ˌdəb-əl-yu̇-(ˌ)sē-ˈā

: an international organization that promotes the spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical welfare originally of young Christian women

Etymology

Young Women's Christian Association

YWCA

noun

Examples of YWCA in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on YWCA

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes