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

Rigetti has indicated it plans to hone its technology in the coming months, saying it expects the latest Cepheus system to reach a median 99.5% two-qubit gate fidelity—essentially, a measure of quality—later this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“There is also a real risk that talks break down and the conflict reverts to its previous state, or even escalates further, once the cease-fire window expires,” Hathorn wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Still, with futures sharply lower in response, Rystad cuts its 2026 average Brent price estimate to $87 a barrel from $97 a barrel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Rigetti plans to enhance its Cepheus system to achieve a median 99.5% two-qubit gate fidelity later this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

A filthy, ripped sofa piled with broken furniture and bags of garbage sits in the middle of the living area, a stained mattress propped up against its side.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam