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View synonyms for

their

[thair, ther]

pronoun

  1. a form of the possessive case of plural they used as an attributive adjective, before a noun.

    their home;

    their rights as citizens;

    their departure for Rome.

  2. a form of the possessive case of singular they used as an attributive adjective, before a noun.

    1. (used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): A parent should read to their child.

      Someone left their book on the table.

      A parent should read to their child.

    2. (used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).

      I’m glad my teacher last year had high expectations for their students.

    3. (used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).

      My cousin Sam is bad at math, but their other grades are good.



their

/ ðɛə /

determiner

  1. of, belonging to, or associated in some way with them

    their finest hour

    their own clothes

    she tried to combat their mocking her

  2. belonging to or associated in some way with people in general not including the speaker or people addressed

    in many countries they wash their clothes in the river

  3. belonging to or associated in some way with an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody

    everyone should bring their own lunch

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Grammar Note

See he 1, me, they.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of their1

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English their(e), ther(e), from Old Norse theirra “their”; replacing Old English thāra, thǣra; they
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Word History and Origins

Origin of their1

C12: from Old Norse theira (genitive plural); see they , them
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Universal Pictures’ “How To Train Your Dragon” soared over the competition this weekend, as family-friendly films continued their dominance at the box office.

From

The agents arrived at Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet around 3:30 p.m., according to eyewitness Howie Rezendez, who filmed armed agents hop off their vehicles and head into the venue.

From

If a sinkhole opens up and swallows 10 cars, leaving traffic backed up for miles, people will just abandon their vehicles and walk five miles home.

From

Kieran Gibson and partner Ellen Fulton had not long moved in together when they lost nearly all their belongings in the blaze on the corner of Scott Street and South Street.

From

Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home early Saturday morning .

From

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When To Use

’s the difference between their, there, and they're?

Their is the possessive form of the personal pronoun they, essentially meaning belonging to or possessed by them, as in Is that their car, or ours? There is commonly used to introduce sentences or to indicate where something is, as in It’s over there, next to the window. They're is a contraction of they are.There are many instances in which ٳ’r confused because their pronunciations are exactly the same. (See what we did there?)There are easy ways to remember which spelling is right, and ٳ’r actually built into each word.You can remember that their is the one that’s used to show possession (like his and her) by remembering that it includes the word heir (a person who inherits possessions).When it’s used to indicate location, there functions a lot like here (even though it can mean the opposite), and the word here is right inside of it.The apostrophe in ٳ’r indicates that it’s a combination of two words and signals that it’s the one you want to use when you mean they are.Here’s an example of their, there, and they're used correctly in the same sentence.Example: It’s hard to work as a team in that environment—when ٳ’r in there, ٳ’r their own worst enemies.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between their, there, and they're.

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Invisible Man, Thetheirn