The WASP acronym most often stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, a label for white Americans of mainly English or British Protestant background, especially an older, wealthy upper class in the Northeast. In history and aviation, WASP also stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots, the women who flew military aircraft inside the United States during World War II.
Both are said as one word, just like the stinging insect. The social label can sound neutral, pointed or joking depending on who uses it, so it helps to know where it came from and how it lands today.
Quick facts
Stands for
White Anglo-Saxon ProtestantOther meanings
Women Airforce Service Pilots (World War II); a planet search project in astronomyType
Acronym, said as a wordHow to say it
WASP, rhymes with claspPlural
WASPsAlso written
Wasp, WASPy (adjective, informal)
WASP acronym meaning, letter by letter
| Letter | Word | What it points to |
|---|---|---|
| W | White | Race |
| AS | Anglo-Saxon | English or British family roots |
| P | Protestant | Protestant Christian faith, often Episcopal or Presbyterian |
Anglo-Saxon takes two letters, A and S, which is how a four letter word comes from three ideas. Some note that "white" is already implied by "Anglo-Saxon," but the letters spell a word that is easy to say and remember, which helped the term spread.
Where the term came from
The label became widely known in the 1960s through writing by sociologists who studied the American upper class. They used it to describe a group that had long held a large share of power in banking, law, government, old universities and private clubs. Over time, as American leadership grew more varied in background, writers used the term to describe that older establishment and its customs.
Today you will see WASP in history books, social science, novels and fashion writing. "WASPy" style, for example, usually means classic preppy clothes, sailing, country clubs and understated wealth.
How people use WASP today
Some people use the word as a plain description of a social group. Others use it with a mocking or critical tone about privilege. And some people who fit the description use it about themselves with humor. Because tone varies so much, it is best used with care in formal writing.
- "The novel follows a WASP family in 1950s Connecticut."
- "Her grandparents were old line WASPs who summered in Maine."
- "The magazine ran a piece on WASP style and tweed jackets."
In a history class reading: "For decades, WASP elites dominated the leadership of the nation's top banks." Here WASP is used as a label for a social class, not as an insult.
Other labels for groups, such as BIPOC, also carry different meanings for different readers.
Women Airforce Service Pilots
In World War II, more than a thousand American women trained to fly military planes as WASPs. They ferried new aircraft from factories to bases, towed targets for gunnery practice, tested repaired planes and trained other pilots, freeing male pilots for combat duty overseas. Dozens died in service.
The pilots were treated as civilians at the time, and their unit was disbanded before the war ended. Decades later, Congress granted them veteran status. In this sense the word is a proud title, and families often say "my grandmother was a WASP." For more military letters, see government and military acronyms.
How to write WASP
- Write it in capitals, WASP, when you mean either acronym. A capitalized "Wasp" is also seen.
- The plural is WASPs, with a lowercase s.
- Use "a" before it: "a WASP family," since it starts with a W sound.
- Lowercase wasp is the insect.
WASP is pronounced as a word, which makes it a true acronym, unlike letter by letter forms such as GOP. The rule is spelled out on what is an acronym, and the famous acronyms list for more.
Questions people ask
What does WASP stand for?
Most often it stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, a label for an old line, mostly upper class group of white Americans of British Protestant background. In military history it also stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots.
Is WASP an offensive term?
It depends on tone and setting. Many people use it as a neutral social label, but it can also be used in a mocking way, so writers often take care with it.
Who were the WASP pilots?
They were women who flew military aircraft inside the United States during World War II. They ferried planes, towed targets and tested aircraft, and they later received veteran status.
What does WASPy mean?
WASPy is an informal adjective for the style or habits linked with old money WASP culture, such as classic preppy clothes and private clubs.
Is the insect name an acronym?
No. The insect word wasp is a very old English word. The acronym simply happens to spell the same word.