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View synonyms for its

its

1

[ its ]

pronoun

  1. the possessive form of it 1 (used as an attributive adjective):

    The book has lost its jacket. I'm sorry about its being so late.



it's

2

[ its ]

  1. contraction of it is:

    It's starting to rain.

  2. contraction of it has: It's been a long time.

its

1

/ ɪts /

determiner

    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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


it's

2

/ ɪts /

contraction of

  1. it is or it has
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage Note

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. me.
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Usage

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 .
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Confusables Note

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.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of its1

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier it's, equivalent to it 1 + 's 2
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Example Sentences

Many people have already written off ‘American Idol’ as a past-its-prime reality TV corpse.

The late-in-its-run success of Breaking Bad is the perfect example of that.

One young woman had affixed Post-its to the wall reading “Welcome Home Annie!”

Over dessert, we look through the Post-Its full of squiggly pictures.

When Demi Moore was hospitalized last year, friends told TMZ she had seizure-like symptoms brought on by doing whip-its.

Jack probably learned more about the Bible during that trip-its history and its heroes-than during all his former years.

The world had nothing more to give him now except that which he had already long possessed-its honor and its love.

Didn't Wolfe say that he would rather have written what's-its-name than taken Quebec?

My heart just sank like a lump of what's-its-name, but my whole soul went out in sympathy for her.

Then Billings, who was already gasping like a jolly what's-its-name, dropped upon the arm of the chair and held his side.

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itrit's about time