our

¹

[ou^uhr, ou-er, ahr]

pronoun

1. (a form of the possessive case of we used as an attributive adjective).

   Our team is going to win. Do you mind our going on ahead?

-our

²

British.

1. variant of -or.

our

¹

/ aʊə /

determiner

1. of, belonging to, or associated in some way with us

   our best vodka

   our parents are good to us

2. belonging to or associated with all people or people in general

   our nearest planet is Venus

3. a formal word for my used by editors or other writers, and monarchs

4. informal,  (often sarcastic) used instead of your

   are our feet hurting?

5. dialect,  belonging to the family of the speaker

   it's our Sandra's birthday tomorrow

-our

²

suffix

1. indicating state, condition, or activity

   behaviour

   labour

Spelling Note

See -or ¹.

Grammar Note

See me.

Word History and Origins

Origin of our¹

before 900; Middle English oure, Old English ūre, suppletive genitive plural of wē we from same base as ūs us

Word History and Origins

Origin of our¹

Old English ūre (genitive plural), from _us ; related to Old French, Old Saxon ūser, Old High German unsēr, Gothic unsara

Origin of our²

in Old French -eur, from Latin -or, noun suffix

Example Sentences

According to Rob Dunn, a biologist and professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University, our taste for sour foods is both biological and evolutionary.

From Salon

“We want to get better, and we will. We’re very committed to doing that, and grateful that it’s not just on one of our shoulders.”

From Los Angeles Times

Please do some honest work on immigration reform instead, they pleaded, so we can fill our labor needs in a more practical and humane way.

From Los Angeles Times

She’s bearing witness to a human dilemma our culture would prefer to keep under wraps, but Ortega might just as easily be doing an audio essay or podcast.

From Los Angeles Times

“We owe it to survivors to properly address this, but we owe it to Santa Monicans to protect our city’s financial stability.”

From Los Angeles Times