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IBF

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international banking facilities.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

ABOUT THIS WORD

What else does IBF mean?

There are bf’s (best friends) and bff’s (best friends forever). Then there are ibf’s, or internet best friends. You might only know them through a computer screen, but that doesn’t mean the feelings aren’t real. Ibf also occasionally stands for internet boyfriend.

How is IBF pronounced?

[ ahy-bee-ef ]

What are other forms of IBF?

ibf

What are some other words related to IBF?

  • bf
  • bff
  • best friend
  • boyfriend

Where does IBF come from?

The acronym ibf can stand for any number of things: the International Boxing Federation, International Bargaining Forum, or international banking facilities, to name a few.

But online, IBF, usually typed as ibf, most often stands for internet best friend, a riff on the classic bf for best friend. An ibf is someone you’ve connected with online who you feel really close to—even if they live across the globe and you may never meet them in person.

First instances of internet acronyms are hard to track down, but the definition of ibf as “internet best friend” appears on Urban Dictionary at least by 2016. By 2017, ibf had also come to mean “internet boyfriend” (as bf can also stand for boyfriend). This term is used to describe someone you are dating online even if you’ve never met them irl.

The term ibf may have been influenced by #InternetFriendDay, a hashtag holiday and trend that surfaced in 2014. Internet Friend Day was thereafter set for February 13 each year—right before Valentine’s Day, interestingly enough. On the day, social media users celebrate their ibf‘s with the hashtag #InternetFriendDay.

How is IBF used in real life?

The term ibf is popular among younger internet users on social media. They may give a shout-out to their ibf‘s on the likes of Twitter and Instagram—while others may bemoan their lack of them.

 

Ibf‘s are often just online acquaintances one is friendly with or communicates with often. People sometimes look for ibf‘s by trying to match their profiles based on shared interests.

British Dictionary definitions for IBF

IBF

abbreviation for
International Boxing Federation
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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