Showing results for "its"

• possessive of it.

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• its
  its

  pronoun

  the possessive form of it (used as an attributive adjective).
• it's
  it's

  contraction of it is:

its

¹ American  

[its] / ɪts /

pronoun

1. the possessive form of it (used as an attributive adjective).

   The book has lost its jacket. I'm sorry about its being so late.

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it's ² American  

[its] / ɪts /

1. contraction of it is:

   It's starting to rain.

2. contraction of it has: It's been a long time.

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its ¹ British  

/ ɪts /

determiner

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

      its left rear wheel

   2. ( as pronoun )

      each town claims its is the best

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it's ² British  

/ ɪts /

contraction

1. it is or it has

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Usage

While it is possible to use its as a predicate adjective ( The cat is angry because the bowl you're eating out of is its! ) or as a pronoun meaning “that or those belonging to it” ( Your notebook pages are torn. Borrow my notebook—its aren't ), such use is rare and in most circumstances strained. See also me.

See contraction.

One of the commonest mistakes made in written English is the confusion of its and it's . You can see examples of this every day in books, magazines, and newspapers: its good for us; a smart case with it's own mirror , and even Cheng, and its' subsidiaries . Its refers to something belonging to or relating to a thing that has already been mentioned: the baby threw its rattle out of the pram . It's is a shortened way of saying it is or it has (the apostrophe indicates that a letter has been omitted: it's a lovely day; it's been a great weekend .

Commonly Confused

A very common mistake is to write its (the possessive form of it ) when it's (the short form of it is or it has ) is required: It's [it is] unclear what he meant. It's [it has] been wonderful seeing you again. But do not use it's for it has when has is the main verb: It has a strong flavor; use it sparingly cannot be written as It's a strong flavor… An equally common mistake is to use it's for the possessive, probably because ordinary possessives of nouns are formed with an apostrophe: the dog's coat; Mary's cell phone. But the possessive its is a pronoun, not a noun, and, like other possessive pronouns ( his, hers, yours, and theirs ), is written without that particular bit of punctuation: I have to fix my bike. Its front wheel came off.

See its.

Etymology

Origin of its

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier it's, equivalent to it ¹ + 's ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

its it's

Instead of changing a material by adding chemicals or combining it with something else, scientists may be able to tune its electrical properties simply by changing its shape.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

The police urged people "not to speculate on the incident or its circumstances" and to let police "conduct investigations and establish the facts of the case".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

That finding indicates that the worm can tap into the PHA reserves stored inside its symbiotic bacteria.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

Addressing concerns over system accuracy, Facewatch said its 99.98% figure is based on live retail testing using a dual-algorithm check and review by human analysts.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

I can smell that the rain is on its way.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"Every time I step over the white line, it's always a phenomenal feeling to be able to say, 'This is my life.'"

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

"You feel exhausted, it's mostly mental fatigue," he said while standing next to a group of friends wearing orange vests and helmets.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Still, it’s clear the organization hasn’t been defeated or deterred, and its hold on Hormuz has strengthened its regional position, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Posts claim that parts of Glasgow's city centre are a "no-go zone" where it's not safe for unsuspecting members of the public, especially women, to enter.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The rain hasn’t let up, and it’s gotten colder since this afternoon.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold