The AI-powered English dictionary
plural waifu or waifus
(fandom slang, Internet slang) A fictional female character from non-live-action visual media (typically an anime, manga, or video game) to whom one is romantically attracted and/or whom one considers their significant other. quotations
So long as I get to claim my virtual waifu and our 30 virtual children as tax deductions, I don't really care if I can't touch her.
2008 October 30, Galen, “Re: Japanese launch campaign to marry comic book characters”, in rec.arts.manga (Usenet)
Seriously, it was fun, but here's hoping that they lay off some of the bits that got old real quick, like Mio getting scared easily. I would not like to have someone that timid as "mai waifu" (as if I'd marry a bloody high school girl anyway). Makes me wonder what that says about the otaku who worship her.
2009 December 31, Dave Watson, “Re: K-ON! 2nd season announced”, in rec.arts.anime.misc (Usenet)
Bradley Meek's portrayal of Lucky☆Star's protagonist is particularly worthy of notice in assessing the anime's take on the art-play dyad: “Konata Izumi is a high school otaku hardcore enough to know trivia about seventies giant robot and tokusatsu shows,” the critic proposes, “but not hardcore enough to own a bodypillow of her waifu [a 2D significant other]. […]
2012, Dani Cavallaro, Kyoto Animation: A Critical Study and Filmography, McFarland & Company, published 2012, page 126