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• 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.

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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.

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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

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it's ² British  

/ ɪts /

contraction

1. it is or it has

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

its it's

The company has increased its efforts to prevent and eliminate harassment and discrimination in the workplace, she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

In Limoges, a town in central France known for its porcelain, up to 3,000 rioters swarmed the streets, according to Maurice Barate, the local prefect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

It is one of Canadian Army's busiest military training bases and its airfield is also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Those projects have all similarly been met with various legal challenges, including claims that Congress must give its consent to such large changes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

Remember that hard work breeds good luck, and laziness its opposite.

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

"That's not been our experience" she said, "it's a hard market, yes, but it doesn't feel that we've dropped nearly 10%".

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Speaking on behalf of the administration isn’t practicing law, so it’s unclear why whiffing the bar is germane, much less a firing offense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

"I’m very worried because it’s a new phenomenon, which also originates from an international scenario and therefore feeds itself."

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

“It’s a really big piece that isn’t talked about as much because it’s after the flames are out,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

When it's too dry or mixed in the wrong formula, almost anything can set it off, without warning.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

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