What does “FS” stand for and how is it used?

If someone has ever sent you “FS” in response to your messages, you should consider it a good sign. This is what this acronym stands for and how to use it in your texts.

Safely

FS can mean a few things, but most commonly it means “safe”. It’s an initialism that essentially means “definitely”: responding positively to someone’s question or emphatically expressing their thoughts. For example, if someone asks if you’re going to a party next weekend, you might say “FS, I wouldn’t miss it.” You can also say, “I think the Bucks are winning, FS,” to emphasize how strongly you believe in a sports opinion.

This acronym can be written in both uppercase “FS” and lowercase “fs”, however the lowercase version is much more common today. You could accidentally confuse it with some similar acronyms like “FFS”, which stands for “for God’s sake”. There is also “fr”, which means “really”. FS and FR may have similar definitions depending on the type of context you use them in.

The origin of the FS

Unlike other acronyms we’ve covered, FS is a relatively recent creation. It dates back to the mid-2010s, with the rise of direct messaging apps like Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Instagram DM. The first definition of FS as “secure” in the Urban Dictionary internet slang repository dates back to 2016 and simply says “secure”.

It’s part of a recent phenomenon of extremely short acronyms that became popular in the 2010s, alongside terms like NP and BB. Since most of our internet interactions take place on phones, people are always looking for ways to save an extra keystroke when typing messages. Of course, it helps that FS is a versatile acronym that you can implement in a variety of situations, from confirming plans with a friend to emphatically expressing your opinion.

Nowadays, you will mostly find FS in private messages between friends. However, you can also find it in community-based online chat rooms like Discord and social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

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enthusiastic agreement

Most people use FS in two ways: either as a stand-alone response or to emphasize the rest of the message.

On its own, you can use “FS” to strongly agree with someone. When someone tells you, “We should go out sometime,” you can say “fs” to indicate that you want to spend more time with that person. You can also use it to support someone else’s opinion. For example, if your friend says, “I think the rain sucks,” you can reply with “FS” to substantiate their hate for the weather.

You can also attach it to the end of a message to provide security or get your point across more strongly. If you’re sending a message trying to convince your friends to watch a play with you, you could say, “This play is going to be great, fs.”

Other definitions of FS

In addition to “safe”, there are a few other initials for FS that you will find on the internet. The most common among these is “For Sale”, a term typically used in online marketplaces and e-commerce spaces. This is especially common for listings where it’s not immediately obvious if someone wants to buy, sell, or rent something. For example, in real estate listings, people often need to clarify that a home is “for sale” or FS, as opposed to other properties that people may lease.

You’re unlikely to confuse “safe” and “for sale.” These two definitions appear in very different contexts, with “safe” living primarily in personal conversations and “for sale” in buying and selling spaces like Facebook Marketplace.

Some less common definitions for FS include “file system”, which is the infrastructure of different files on a computer. In some countries, FS can stand for “foot-second”, an indicator of speed that describes how many feet can be covered in one second. Among gamers, FS can also mean “flight simulator”, a game genre that simulates complex flight dynamics in realistic environments.

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How to use FS

Using FS is relatively straightforward. You can use it as a response to agree with something or as a modifier to make your messages more emphatic. However, avoid using it in the workplace as it is a casual slang term.

Here are some ways to use FS:

• “Oh yes, F.S. I’d love to get out of town.”
• “This restaurant is going to be amazing fs.”
• “Let’s have a good time, fs.”

Interested in learning other slang terms online? Then check out our explainers on NR, NVM, and OP. You’ll be texting like an Internet expert in no time!

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