AFK stands for away from keyboard. It is an initialism used in chat and online gaming to let another person or persons know that you will not be at your keyboard for a while or that you will be offline for a while.
AFK is often used with ‘brb’ which stands for be right back.
The initialism AFK has been used in internet settings since around 1990. Today, it is most widely used by the online gaming community, especially in MMO’s or ‘massively multiplayer online games.’ This is informal language and should be avoided in professional or more formal settings.
Examples of How To Use AFK
I’m getting something to eat. I’ll be AFK for a while.
I have to do some school work so going AFK for now.
My mom is calling me…afk, brb.
Sorry I didn’t return your message. I was AFK.
Woah, you can’t go AFK now. The shit just hit the fan!
An initialism is an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word pronounced separately. For example, OMG is an initialism for ‘oh my God.’
See More Initialisms Used in Chat, Email, Etc.
