contraction of it is:
It's starting to rain.
contraction of it has: It's been a long time.
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 .
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.
First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier it's, equivalent to it 1 + 's 2
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Southwest is leasing space in airports for new lounges so it could have a new perk for its cobranded credit cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
And at O’Hare International Airport, American Airlines has been fighting tooth and nail not to lose access to gates in its terminal because of the Chicago hub’s potential to fuel its credit-card loyalty program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Chipotle strengthened its food safety practices, and its sales increased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The chain is indefinitely removing the supplier’s ingredient from its supply chain nationwide and will replace it within 24 hours in select states, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 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
“Chicago is one of the best markets for us from a loyalty perspective, and it’s growing like crazy,” Pieper said, according to a recording of the meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
“After 7 wonderful seasons at SNL I have decided it’s time for my next chapter,” the actor wrote Thursday on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
"She's texting me that it's bad out there," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
“Sometimes it’s gone, but it comes right back.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you. Please sit down.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
