their

[thair, ther]

pronoun

1. a form of the possessive case of plural they used as an attributive adjective, before a noun.

   their home;

   their rights as citizens;

   their departure for Rome.

2. a form of the possessive case of singular they used as an attributive adjective, before a noun.

   1. (used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): A parent should read to their child.

      Someone left their book on the table.

      A parent should read to their child.

   2. (used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).

      I’m glad my teacher last year had high expectations for their students.

   3. (used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).

      My cousin Sam is bad at math, but their other grades are good.

their

/ ðɛə /

determiner

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

   their finest hour

   their own clothes

   she tried to combat their mocking her

2. belonging to or associated in some way with people in general not including the speaker or people addressed

   in many countries they wash their clothes in the river

3. belonging to or associated in some way with an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody

   everyone should bring their own lunch

Grammar Note

See he ¹, me, they.

Word History and Origins

Origin of their¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English their(e), ther(e), from Old Norse theirra “their”; replacing Old English thāra, thǣra; they

Word History and Origins

Origin of their¹

C12: from Old Norse theira (genitive plural); see _they , _them

Example Sentences

They tap into the latest methods — radio, television, 1-800 numbers, billboards, bus stop benches and infomercials — to burn their brands into consumers’ consciousness.

From Los Angeles Times

They’re willing to accept that their creator is an omnipotent being that’s there with the answers that we don’t need to know for our safety or for whatever divine reason.

From Los Angeles Times

“She was their only Black female cast member, so now there are no Black women on ‘SNL.”

From Los Angeles Times

Parton also encouraged her followers to be on their toes regarding “rumors” about her health and AI photos — including one alleged snap she says depicts fellow country star Reba McEntire at her death bed.

From Los Angeles Times

When asked about their experiences around the massive popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters,” the trio offered words including “surreal,” “scrumptious” “delicious,” “stunning” and “bonkers.”

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What’s the difference between their, there, and they're?

Their is the possessive form of the personal pronoun they, essentially meaning belonging to or possessed by them, as in Is that their car, or ours? There is commonly used to introduce sentences or to indicate where something is, as in It’s over there, next to the window. They're is a contraction of they are.There are many instances in which they’re confused because their pronunciations are exactly the same. (See what we did there?)There are easy ways to remember which spelling is right, and they’re actually built into each word.You can remember that their is the one that’s used to show possession (like his and her) by remembering that it includes the word heir (a person who inherits possessions).When it’s used to indicate location, there functions a lot like here (even though it can mean the opposite), and the word here is right inside of it.The apostrophe in they’re indicates that it’s a combination of two words and signals that it’s the one you want to use when you mean they are.Here’s an example of their, there, and they're used correctly in the same sentence.Example: It’s hard to work as a team in that environment—when they’re in there, they’re their own worst enemies.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between their, there, and they're.