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Bill W. group

Bill W. group

5.9
A support group for people trying to stop drinking or using drugs
  • noun
  • Jargon
translation icon : grupo Bill W.
  • She attends a weekly Bill W. group to share her experiences and stay sober.

Examples

  • Many people credit their recovery to the support they receive at a Bill W. group.

  • After years of denial, he finally joined a Bill W. group to seek help for his addiction.

  • She attends a Bill W. group every Tuesday.

  • Many people find support in Bill W. groups.

  • After years of denial, he finally joined a Bill W. group to seek help for his addiction.

  • Many people credit their recovery to the support they receive at a Bill W. group.

  • She attends a weekly Bill W. group to share her experiences and stay sober.

Synonyms

support group
vsBill W. group
66 2.8

A group of people who meet regularly to give each other help and advice about a shared problem

is specifically for addiction and includes twelve step programs rather than any problem
AA
vsBill W. group
66 3.9

A group where people meet to help each other stop drinking alcohol

is the same organization but represents the general support category
Alcoholics Anonymous
vsBill W. group
1 3.1

A group that helps people stop drinking and stay sober

is the broader support type that includes this organization and similar twelve step programs

How Structured

Bill W. group
  • Jargon
5.9
support group
66 2.8
self-help
44 3.6

Surface Forms

Bill W. group singular

Morphology

Bill + W. + group

The phrase is an eponymic reference to a specific person (Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous) rather than a compositional description; knowing 'Bill' and 'group' does not indicate a support/12-step context. Understanding this MWE requires cultural or background knowledge about Alcoholics Anonymous, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

Bill W. group gets its name from Bill W., the nickname of Bill Wilson, who helped start Alcoholics Anonymous and its early meetings. So people call an AA meeting a Bill W. group to mean 'a support group for people with addiction'.