The glossary
What Does DTF Mean? Casual Dating Terms Explained
The slang, the sources behind it and how to use the words honestly on a profile.
Dictionary.com’s DTF page glosses it as someone willing to take part in something short-term and sexual, though it says this is not a formal definition. Dictionary.com also lists no strings attached as one expansion of NSA. Cambridge Dictionary defines a hookup as a meeting for sex, and friends with benefits as a friend you also have sex with.
Messages and Meetings, Decoded
Decoding the shorthand is the bit worth learning, so each entry names its source.
- DTF
- Dictionary.com’s page on DTF, dated 1 March 2018, glosses it as someone willing to take part in something short-term and sexual, though it says that wording is not meant to be a formal definition. Cambridge Dictionary lists it as an abbreviation used, for example, on dating sites and social media.
- NSA
- Dictionary.com lists no strings attached as one expansion of NSA, alongside others such as National Security Agency, but gives no dating definition.
- No strings attached
- Cambridge Dictionary defines it, for a sexual or intimate involvement, as meaning nobody involved expects permanence or expects to be the other person’s only partner.
- Hookup
- Cambridge Dictionary defines a hookup as “a meeting for sex”. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries describes it as meeting someone you are not a couple with for sexual activity. Dictionary.com calls it a sexual encounter with no expectation of anything lasting, and notes that in slang it can mean the person you have it with.
The Kinds of Arrangement, Sorted
- Casual sex
- Cambridge Dictionary defines it as sexual activity between two people who are not a couple.
- Friends with benefits
- Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a friend you also have sex with. Dictionary.com calls it a euphemism for a friend one has sex with, but not as a couple and with no commitment, and gives the abbreviation FWB.
- Situationship
- Cambridge Dictionary defines it as an involvement between two people who are more than friends but do not yet see themselves as a couple. Dictionary.com says the people in it have not defined it, and gives the word’s first recorded use as 2005 to 2010.
- Ethical non-monogamy
- Dictionary.com defines it as having or pursuing more than one sexual or intimate partner at a time, “with the awareness and consent of all partners”.
Words About People, Handled With Care
- Cougar
- Cambridge Dictionary lists it as informal for an older woman who has younger men as sexual partners. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries marks it “often offensive”, so it is a word to recognise, not a label to wear or hand out.
- Silver fox
- Cambridge Dictionary says “an attractive older man, especially one with grey hair”; Dictionary.com widens that to an older person. The full story is in what is a silver fox.
Use the Words Honestly
Say it in a sentence first
Write what you want in plain words, then add the shorthand. Three letters alone can leave people guessing.
Match the word to the meaning
Going by Cambridge Dictionary, no strings attached is about expectations, a hookup is about a meeting, and friends with benefits needs an actual friend. Pick what fits, or none.
Back it up with your tags
Tags like Short-term Fun, Ready Now and Open to Whatever say it without slang. Pick the true ones; the profile tips cover the rest.
Ask before you assume
If a word in a message is unclear, ask what they mean. A quick question beats a wrong guess.
Three Opening Lines to Borrow
- Casual and NSA suit me. What are you after?
- Friends with benefits works for me, if we are honest.
- Drinks first. Anything more only if we both fancy it.
Clear beats clever. A term says what you want, never what the other person wants. A yes to a drink is not a yes to more, and either of you can change your mind. If someone pushes, block and report them; the safety page lists the tools.
Sources and Dates
For sexual health questions, ask a GP or a sexual health clinic; safer sex over 50 is a start.
- Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, online entries read 19 October 2026, no entry dates shown.
- Dictionary.com, online entries read 19 October 2026, no entry dates shown, plus its DTF page of 1 March 2018.
Questions About the Terms
What does NSA mean on a dating profile?
Dictionary.com lists no strings attached as one expansion of NSA but gives no dating definition for the abbreviation. Cambridge Dictionary defines no strings attached, for a sexual or intimate involvement, as nobody involved expecting permanence or expecting to be the other person’s only partner.
What is a hookup, and is it the same as friends with benefits?
Cambridge Dictionary defines a hookup as a meeting for sex and friends with benefits as a friend you also have sex with. So in Cambridge’s wording, friends with benefits is tied to a friend, while a hookup is defined by the meeting.
What is ethical non-monogamy?
Dictionary.com’s definition of ethical non-monogamy concerns having or pursuing more than one partner at a time, and it includes the condition “with the awareness and consent of all partners”. Without that awareness and consent, it is not what the dictionary describes.
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