PWN

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

PWN
Stands forOwn (defeat)
Meanings2
CategoriesTexting & Internet Slang, Education & Academia

PWN has two meanings. It stands for Own (defeat) (gaming slang) or Prior written notice (K-12 education).

Meanings of PWN at a glance

#PWN stands forContext
1Own (defeat)Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang
2Prior written noticeEducation & Academia › K-12 Education

1. Own (defeat)

Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations

To defeat or dominate someone decisively, as in "you got pwned." Common in gaming and hacker slang, where a "pwned" computer has been taken over by an attacker.

Example: We pwned them in under ten minutes, best match of the night.

Commonly traced to a typo of "own," since P sits next to O on QWERTY keyboards; a popular legend credits a Warcraft map message. Security researcher Troy Hunt named his data-breach lookup service Have I Been Pwned (2013) after the hacker sense. Pronounced "pone," "pown" or "pawn."

2. Prior written notice

Education & Academia · K-12 Education Abbreviations

Written notice a school district must give parents whenever it proposes or refuses to change a child's identification, evaluation, placement or special education services. It explains the action, the reasons and the options considered and rejected.

Example: Ask for PWN if the school refuses your request for an evaluation.

PWN is one of IDEA's procedural safeguards, designed to give parents a written record for possible disputes. Notices must be in the parents' native language unless clearly not feasible. Missing or incomplete PWN can be a procedural violation in due process hearings.

More gaming slang abbreviations

  • PUG – Pick-up group
  • PvE – Player versus environment
  • PvP – Player versus player
  • PvPvE – Player versus player versus environment
  • QoL – Quality of life
  • QQ – Crying (emoticon)
  • QTE – Quick time event
  • Rekt – Wrecked

See all 145 gaming slang abbreviations →

More K-12 education abbreviations

  • PTA – Parent Teacher Association
  • PTC – Parent-teacher conference
  • PTO – Parent Teacher Organization
  • PTSA – Parent Teacher Student Association
  • RSP – Resource Specialist Program
  • RTI – Response to intervention
  • SDC – Special day class
  • SDI – Specially designed instruction

See all 96 K-12 education abbreviations →