Showing results for "its"

• possessive of it.

Jump To:

• 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.

---

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.

---

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

---

it's ² British  

/ ɪts /

contraction

1. it is or it has

---

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

It expects adjusted earnings per share of $17.60 to $17.90, which excludes a boost from the sale of its equity investment in Global Business Travel Group, net of a restructuring charge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

At the same time, SLB said its data-center-solutions business continues to accelerate, with revenue up 23% sequentially, driven by growing demand, a broader scope of services and geographic expansion in Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Booz Allen said it continues to see momentum across its national security portfolio, prompting the company to build and scale its cyber and defense-technology products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Meta has a rare hit on its hands with its Muse AI agent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

When her illness is in its quiet stages, she can move through Manila without incident.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

For some, giving up a vehicle isn’t just about cutting one bill from the budget; it’s freeing up money for rent, savings and everything else, writes MarketWatch’s Venessa Wong.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

“This means we are on IBM M&A watch for the remainder of the year, as it’s the final bridge towards IBM reaching Street revenue forecasts in 2027, in our view,” they write.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The union is now hashing out a severance package, according to Publisher’s Weekly, and it’s unclear what will happen to the 16 upcoming book titles scheduled through spring 2027.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

Partly it’s vanity, according to investing veteran Richard Ennis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

“You’re going farther west,” I say, knowing it’s true.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---