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

On Wall Street, this dynamic has its own nickname — the “Fed put.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

This isn’t the first time that the club and its legal team have dug in for a fight.

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

Saudi Arabia has also resumed shipments through its East-West pipeline after repairing damage from drone strikes, easing pressure on regional supply.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The boxy vehicle has a yellow paint base with the name “Sandy June’s Mobile Frybread Food Truck” elegantly lettered across its long side.

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

The Fed will be watching the core rate of inflation closely to see if it’s also on the softer side.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Given the recent run of AI agents going rogue, it’s one more reminder for enterprises that governance needs to be in place before agents are let loose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Listen: When you’re governor of a place you love, it’s enough.

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

The Carmelites are cloistered—they do not leave their monasteries unless it’s essential.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly