Showing results for "whose"

• possessive of who.

whose

American  

[hooz] / huz /

pronoun

1. (the possessive case of who used as an adjective).

   Whose umbrella did I take? Whose is this one?

2. (the possessive case of which used as an adjective).

   a word whose meaning escapes me; an animal whose fur changes color.

3. the one or ones belonging to what person or persons.

   Whose painting won the third prize?

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whose British  

/ huːz /

determiner

1. 1. of whom? belonging to whom? used in direct and indirect questions

      I told him whose fault it was

      whose car is this?

   2. ( as pronoun )

      whose is that?

2. of whom; belonging to whom; of which; belonging to which: used as a relative pronoun

   a house whose windows are broken

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Usage

Sometimes the phrase of which is used as the possessive of which: Chicago is a city of which the attractions are many or Chicago is a city the attractions of which are many. The use of this phrase can often seem awkward or pretentious, whereas whose sounds more idiomatic: Chicago is a city whose attractions are many.

Etymology

Origin of whose

First recorded before 900; Middle English whos, early Middle English hwās; replacing hwas, Old English hwæs, genitive of interrogative pronoun hwā who

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whose

Perhaps it should surprise no-one that a country whose national anthem reminisces about sending an invading English army homeward "tae think again" does not stand four-square behind the "Auld Enemy".

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Last year, the Franklin Hills Residents Assn., whose block parties have featured Palermo pizzas for years, gave Fanara an honorary lifetime membership.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

A Brazilian government source told AFP that Washington's grievance stems from credit card companies, whose share of transactions in Brazil has dropped from 23 percent to 15 percent since 2020.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Here’s a trip through Nolan’s most signature work that explains how he became the biggest director in Hollywood, whose movies have grossed over $6 billion worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

A tree whose leaves had made a head start on autumn and turned red before any of the others.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler