Its somewhere between a dating relationship and a friendship. Usually, friends with benefits (a.k.a. FWB) means that people who know each other engage in intimate/sexual activity without really dating each other. Its different from hooking up, which tends to be a one-time thing with someone new.

How is friends with benefits different from a relationship?

A friends with benefits relationship is one in which two people are physically intimate with one another, yet theyre not committed to each other in any way. People involved in a friends with benefits relationship clearly enjoy spending time together, but their relationship isnt romantic and has no strings attached.