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• 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

The city and its eponymous county have had enough land to build more housing if the need arose, but population growth has stalled out, leaving St. Louis well supplied with homes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

The war and the economic strictures have piled pressure on Iran’s already spiraling economy, further sinking its currency and making it hard for Iranians to afford their daily needs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Cape Town is set to become the eighth city when it hosts its first marathon major next year.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

St. John Bosco began its preparation to be hydrated and avoid cramps on Monday with constant reminders on taking fluids all week by athletic trainer Daisy Martinez.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

I turn the desiccated stump around in its pot, consider it from all angles.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

“Well, it’s just really unfortunate, obviously,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

"I missed a year of football, and a year in a child's life - from three and a half to four and a half - it's obviously massive," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

“If it’s a $5 million dose, let’s not waste time,” Bancel told Hoge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

And for what it’s worth, the White House has strenuously denied that there’s anything inappropriate about Trump and Harp’s relationship.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

When I ask him about why he joined Black Alliance, he tells me it’s because he comes from a long history of activists.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold