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• 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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

its it's

Further up the Yulong River, the Fuli Bridge, an old stone arch nicknamed “Moon Bridge” for its round reflection in the water, is another popular spot to pose for pictures or drone videos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The report continued that the greatest strength of policing is its workforce, with the vast majority of officers showing professionalism and courage.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Custom-chip company Broadcom, for example, said Wednesday that it more than tripled its earnings and nearly doubled its revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

This has led to a significant evolution in its business in recent months, selling its own microchips.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

“I’m not leaving here until I win one of those green lizards. Did you see it? The one with the row of spikes down its back, that’s as tall as me?”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

“I don’t want to say it’s day to day, but I am very curious to see how he comes out of tonight to then make the decision for tomorrow and ensuing days,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

"We started this a few months ago after newspapers were not allowed for packing as it's bad for health," he says.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

And as a film, it’s a masterpiece that will rattle around your head for days, constantly sparking more affection — and the occasional nightmare.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

“If you’re saving in any way, shape or form, it’s going to put you in a better spot,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 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