contraction of it is:
It's starting to rain.
contraction of it has: It's been a long time.
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 .
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.
First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier it's, equivalent to it 1 + 's 2
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sophie Naftalin, a solicitor at Bhatt Murphy who acts for Lorraine, says her case highlights the "Kafkaesque nature of the misconduct system and how it's failing victims".
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
"I think it's definitely shifting," said Nizier Lawrence, in his early twenties.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
"Barbecue requires very little investment, and the risk is low. One barbecue stove can support a family, so it's a very good way to alleviate unemployment," Jiang said.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
“I don’t feel like it’s the end of my life,” he said in his interview with People about living with Alzheimer’s.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
“Ah, no, it’s okay. I know you’re tired. Arlo will bring the food to you. You can stay where you are,” Dad says, trying to sound casual about it.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
