whose

American  

[hooz] / huz /

pronoun

1. (the possessive case of who used as an adjective).

   Whose umbrella did I take? Whose is this one?

2. (the possessive case of which used as an adjective).

   a word whose meaning escapes me; an animal whose fur changes color.

3. the one or ones belonging to what person or persons.

   Whose painting won the third prize?

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whose British  

/ huːz /

determiner

1. 1. of whom? belonging to whom? used in direct and indirect questions

      I told him whose fault it was

      whose car is this?

   2. ( as pronoun )

      whose is that?

2. of whom; belonging to whom; of which; belonging to which: used as a relative pronoun

   a house whose windows are broken

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Usage

Sometimes the phrase of which is used as the possessive of which: Chicago is a city of which the attractions are many or Chicago is a city the attractions of which are many. The use of this phrase can often seem awkward or pretentious, whereas whose sounds more idiomatic: Chicago is a city whose attractions are many.

Etymology

Origin of whose

First recorded before 900; Middle English whos, early Middle English hwās; replacing hwas, Old English hwæs, genitive of interrogative pronoun hwā who

Example Sentences

For its fiscal fourth quarter, which runs through May, Nike expects sales to fall 2% to 4%, weighed down by weaker trends in its Converse segment and difficulties in China, whose economy has been shaky.

From MarketWatch

Under Hill’s leadership, Nike has also tried to thin down or sell off its stockpiles of its classic casual sneakers, like Dunks and Air Force 1s, whose popularity has waned after Nike flooded the market with them.

From MarketWatch

GM has paid some $400 million to suppliers whose contracts were either modified or eliminated.

From The Wall Street Journal

But it has been especially hard for the millions of migrants whose futures have now turned uncertain.

From BBC

In a world where digital optimization can make just about anyone sound passable on the microphone, a pop singer with personality whose voice actually communicates stands out.

From The Wall Street Journal