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.
“If Ford can execute on its multiyear plan, this could be a unique turnaround story in autos,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
In its place came price pressures from the Iran war and AI build-out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Analysts at Deutsche Bank said in their note that Ford deserves kudos for its price mix and “resilient” quarterly results.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The models it relies on treat inflation as a broad-based phenomenon with the labor market at its center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
We hop in the family van, in all its rusted-out glory.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
There’s a misalignment here, and it’s likely due to some discomfort.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
“So, it’s something I have to work around. In terms of running, I’m not exactly at 100% capacity. When I know it’s not, then it’s always a little harder to be aggressive on the basepaths.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
People seem to enjoy a Spirit of Cricket debate - it's part of the fabric of the game and almost unique to the sport.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“You get the title, the money, and it’s kind of hollow,” a bank vice president shared.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Arlo gets to play all the current hip-hop he wants, so long as it’s the clean version.
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.
