its
//ɪts//
Definitions
1.plural of it
- Don't be so glum about it. Life has its ups and downs.
- The fire truck is on its way.
- The bird flapped its wings.
1.Belonging to it.
- The Chinese government is at war with its own people.
- The manner wherewith our Lawes assay to moderate the foolish and vaine expences of table-cheare and apparell, seemeth contrarie to it's end.
- Nara and its deer are so closely associated that the light-brown colored animals are pictured in the city’s tourism ads, on buses, train tickets and more.
1.The one (or ones) belonging to it.
- EBay Canada argued in court that the data sought by tax collectors was not its to give.
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #185
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Etymology
Equivalent to it + -s (possessive marker).
From the earlier form it's (it + -'s), which is now considered nonstandard.
Began to displace his as the possessive of the neuter pronoun in the Middle English period; had fully displaced it by the 1700s.