(used to represent an inanimate thing understood, previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
It has whitewall tires and red upholstery.
You can't tell a book by its cover.
(used to represent an animal understood, previously mentioned, or about to be mentioned whose sex is unknown or disregarded).
It was the largest shark ever caught off the Florida coast.
The horse had its saddle on.
(used to represent a person of previously unknown identity, in a sentence seeking, establishing, or commenting on their identity).
"I heard the phone ring—who was it?" "It was John."
Someone got hurt, but they think it was not the driver.
(used to represent a group understood or previously mentioned).
The judge told the jury it must decide two issues.
(used to represent a concept or abstract idea understood or previously stated).
It all started with my choice to walk out that door.
He has been taught to believe it all his life.
(used to represent an action or activity understood, previously mentioned, or about to be mentioned).
Since you don't like it, you don't have to go skiing.
(used as the impersonal subject of the verb to be, especially to refer to time, distance, or the weather).
It is six o'clock.
It is five miles to town.
It was foggy.
(used in statements expressing an action, condition, fact, circumstance, or situation without reference to an agent).
If it weren't for Edna, I wouldn't go.
(used in referring to something as the origin or cause of pain, pleasure, etc.).
Where does it hurt?
It looks bad for the candidate.
(used in referring to a source not specifically named or described).
It is said that love is blind.
(used in referring to the general state of affairs, circumstances, fate, or life in general).
How's it going with you?
(used as an anticipatory subject or object in order to shift emphasis).
It is necessary that you do your duty.
It is I who should apologize.
It was a very kind thing he did there.
Informal. (used instead of the pronoun its before a gerund).
It having rained for only one hour didn't help the crops.
(in children's games) the player called upon to perform some task, such as, in tag, the one who must catch the other players.
Slang.
sex appeal.
sexual intercourse.
get with it, to become active or interested.
He was warned to get with it or resign.
with it,
aware of the latest fads, fashions, etc.; up-to-date.
By grooving on teenage slang, the principal is trying to show us how with it she is, but the effect is something like seeing a mohawk on Grandma.
attentive or alert.
I'm just not with it early in the morning.
understanding or appreciative of something.
Let's face it—when it comes to originality, Hollywood isn't really with it.
Carnival Slang. being a member of the carnival.
it is what it is. see it is what it is.
it's not over till it's over. see it's not over till it's over.
have it,
to love someone.
She really has it bad for him.
to possess the requisite abilities for something; be talented, adept, or proficient.
In this business you either have it or you don't.
Italian.
Italy.
refers to a nonhuman, animal, plant, or inanimate thing, or sometimes to a small baby
it looks dangerous
give it a bone
refers to an unspecified or implied antecedent or to a previous or understood clause, phrase, etc
it is impossible
I knew it
used to represent human life or experience either in totality or in respect of the present situation
how's it going?
I've had it
to brazen it out
used as a formal subject (or object), referring to a following clause, phrase, or word
it helps to know the truth
I consider it dangerous to go on
used in the nominative as the formal grammatical subject of impersonal verbs. When it functions absolutely in such sentences, not referring to any previous or following clause or phrase, the context is nearly always a description of the environment or of some physical sensation
it is raining
it hurts
informal (used as complement with be) the crucial or ultimate point
the steering failed and I thought that was it
(in children's games) the player whose turn it is to try to touch another Compare he 1
informal
sexual intercourse
sex appeal
informal a desirable quality or ability
he's really got it
Italian
Italy
See me.
First recorded before 900; Middle English hit, hitte, it, Old English hit, neuter of he 1
First recorded in 1930–35; It(alian vermouth)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mortgage occupancy fraud involves a borrower who says they plan to use a property as a primary residence, even though it is a second home or an investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“And then this came and it was something even bigger and in a space that we hadn’t got to see ourselves in, which was big epic fantasy,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Not my circus, not my monkeys anymore,” he wrote to a colleague who shared that it was approved, according to a document.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The bank plans buybacks of at least $1 billion over the next three months, it said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Joey is convinced that Carville is her only hope for a cure, but at times it seems like an impossible dream.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
It is what the data pointed to after June’s soft inflation reading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It caused light to moderate shaking at an intensity expected to cause, at most, very light damage, according to the USGS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
It says Burnham is sounding "calls for consensus" on "social care crisis", inviting "Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey to discuss how to drive urgent reforms".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
"The exact number is not known. It is certain that staff members are trapped, but it is unclear whether any members of the public are among them," NHK quoted police as saying.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I don’t just wake up like this. It takes good hair products, a vigorous workout, and relentless adherence to my skin-care routine.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
That event was contained in OpenAI's own IT systems and "largely celebrated at the time", the CSA noted.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The company’s AI Control Tower allows customers to map and govern their AI agents across different cloud and IT systems.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Months later, the marshal released a report proposing tweaks to the court’s IT procedures but concluding that the office was unable to find the source of the leak.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
Shares of software and IT firms including Accenture, Gartner, Workday and ServiceNow also retreated in IBM’s wake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Whoever sent the photo, according to our IT department, must be using a VPN,” said Ms. Jacobs.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
When the apartment finally went quiet, I opened my Notes app and typed: “You. Can. Have. It. All.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
Its "See It. Say It. Sorted." campaign was launched in 2016 and then relaunched last year, encouraging the public to report "anything unusual", either to station staff or to British Transport Police.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
“Let. It. Go,” wrote The Sentinel on April 2 in an editorial, referring to the popular song from the Disney movie “Frozen.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2023
Municipalities are working to this end, with programs such as New York City’s $2 million “Trash It. Don’t Flush It” public awareness campaign.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2019
“Supreme thinks I have It. You know, that thing that makes stars stars.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Whilst countries differ in their approaches to tackling antisemitism – from toughening laws to improving education – they also identify common experiences, with near universal concern about the role of social media and artificial intelligence.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The couple withdrew their application after they were asked for more info about their money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Shortly after Stenberg said Adeyemi gave the actor her blessing, they had a text exchange that hinted at a change of heart or different story entirely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
He suggests they potentially downsize tourism or urbanisation to protect coral -- a "difficult political question" for those who want to keep Okinawa's economy thriving.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
They look like gentlemen, or at least they do in the oil portraits that they have painted of themselves to boost their social status.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
"If we don't understand what climate change, ocean warming or acidification does to coral ecosystems, there is a chance we're going to lose them," Ravasi said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The product release led some founders to conclude that Anthropic might launch tools to compete with them and take their customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
"The exact number is not known. It is certain that staff members are trapped, but it is unclear whether any members of the public are among them," NHK quoted police as saying.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Never mind—the FDA claims patients in the trial weren’t truly blinded because side effects would have caused them to suspect they were receiving a placebo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
For one, neither of them is easily swayed.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Profit from its wealth and retail banking business rose 76% to $1.01 billion, while that of its corporate and investment banking business fell 7.4% to $1.51 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Wapner and Hagman sit on the Ontario International Airport Authority, with the council member acting as its president, records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Fury over Fifa plan to sell off World Cup" is the i Paper's headline, writing that it comes after its boss "Gianni Infantino plans to sell stakes to private investors, potentially earning him millions".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Morgan Stanley’s mortgage department exists to provide loans to its wealth-management clients, well-off individuals who are less likely to default in mass numbers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It does look past its due date, but I’m not admitting that to him.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Mortgage employees face backlash from their bosses, financial advisers and others in the wealth department when they delay loan approvals or reject them, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Lord Mann, the UK government's independent adviser on antisemitism, called for a "clear, calm and methodical" approach to tackling anti-Jewish hatred, warning that governments which avoidede their responsibilities contributed to the problem.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The trip from Sidi Kerir through the Mediterranean Sea, around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and out to Asia adds some 20 to 30 days to voyages, depending on their final destination in Asia.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
They have the authority to approve loans on their own but aren’t able to decline them without authorization from superiors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Your parents teach you the "right" way to eat or to greet strangers, but other parents in other countries teach their children other "right" ways.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
"Younger audiences often encounter global events through social media before they engage with the event itself. Instead of asking consumers to enter Wimbledon's world, the campaign briefly enters theirs."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
From “Sailor Beware” to “The Stooge,” “Living It Up” and “Artists and Models,” theirs was a comedy partnership that came to symbolize America.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
"I believe only civil society can influence these processes. While we are here defending rights, people went out and defended theirs," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
But because other people frequently change theirs, earlier ones pop up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Much of that land, however, wasn’t theirs to transfer.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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.
