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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

its it's

Jennifer Robinson, from Abingdon-based Oxford Wood Recycling, said looking after the environment was "at the heart" of its work.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

"Anyar Dubai" has been "going viral" for its plentiful supply, said rebel spokesman Pyae Phyo Kyaw, at a time when Myanmar military-held areas have been rationing petrol.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

One message recounted views allegedly expressed in private by Britain's then-ambassador to China, Dame Caroline Wilson, during a discussion with the CRG about its work on China's influence on UK universities.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

The maker of AI agent Claude had been expected to raise up to $100 billion in its IPO, which would have made it the largest IPO on record.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

They arrived at the counter, its frosted-glass window taped with a smattering of flyers, some with print faded in the sun, the corners of their paper curling with age.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

"Now it's become difficult to enforce in the presence of large language models scraping up all the world's information."

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

As the swaps market has essentially priced in a December rate increase, it’s questioning how restrictive U.S. monetary policy may ultimately need to become, said Pepperstone head of research Chris Weston.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

And it's not clear whether they have any answer to it.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

“It’s really important for us, how we see things, to have a flat structure and know that it’s collaborative across the board,” Gomes said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

Captain Shingo takes note of the Philippines’ supply of oil, which is something the Japanese military needs if it’s going to accomplish its vision.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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