Showing results for "its"

• possessive of it.

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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

Mission College recently launched its men’s tennis program — also featuring local players — using the same formula that led to the women’s team’s success.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

In 2022, the last year Ford broke out earnings for its European operations, it posted a mere $47 million profit, down from $1.2 billion in 2016.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

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

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

"I know it's rare, but you look at Leicester in 2016 and Blackburn in 1995 when I was a kid," added Given.

From BBC ● 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

And poor taste in design is a pity because it’s a bore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

It could be the neon-green paper it’s printed on, or the big, bold font.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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