Many people have seen “WC” on public bathroom signs and wondered what it means. WC stands for “water closet,” a term used worldwide to describe a room with a toilet and often a sink.
A viral TikTok in 2020 highlighted confusion over bathroom terms like restroom, washroom, and WC, sparking debate about what makes sense. According to Merriam-Webster, a water closet refers to a toilet or a small room containing one.
Historically, bathrooms were for bathing, restrooms for grooming, and toilets were kept in separate “water closets.” As indoor plumbing spread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, toilets and baths were combined into one room, but the term WC remained, especially outside the U.S.
Today, WC is commonly used in airports, hotels, and other international spaces as a formal, universal way to indicate a restroom. Around the world, the same room goes by many names, including bathroom, washroom, restroom, loo, lavatory, or WC—none of which make perfect sense, but all mean the same thing.