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, the fate of this hard-charging bull market — which will reach its fourth birthday in October — depends entirely on what BofA is calling the ‘AI put.’

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

“The proceedings were at all times extremely hard fought on both sides,” the panel wrote in its decision.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Bank of America is seeing signs of the same shift among its customers.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Cathy Sparks’ first job at the company was selling sneakers in one of its Oregon stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Her complexion is so absorbing, it’s impossible not to be pulled into its orbit.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

“I think it’s going to be kind of a new normal too,” he told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

But it’s rare between large retailers and brands because suppliers want their goods on the shelf and retailers are wary of disappointing shoppers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

For anyone who buys the AI spiel, it’s a tool with boundless power.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

"But it's a small price, for me and I know for our volunteers, to pay for that child getting a birthday cake that they otherwise wouldn't be able to have."

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

“I think it’s only a matter of time before you become one,” she says.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold