Definitions

it

[it] / ɪt /

Part of Speech:

All (3) Pronoun (2) Noun (1)

Jump To:

nominative singular pronoun pron.
objective singular pronoun pron.
sex appeal n.

PRONOUN

nominative singular pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

I he she sie they ve xe you ze zie

PRONOUN

objective singular pronoun

Synonyms

WEAK

her him hir me them ver xem you zir

NOUN

sex appeal

Synonyms

STRONGEST

animal magnetism sex appeal

STRONG

attraction charisma charm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for it?

The pronoun it is commonly used to refer to something without naming it. The plural pronoun they can be used to refer to multiple things in this way, as can the object form them. The word it is sometimes used to refer to an animal, and in some cases it can refer to an unknown person, such as when someone knocks on the door and you ask “Who is it?” (Otherwise, though, referring to a person as it for any reason is extremely offensive.) Most commonly, it is used to refer to things. Like the word thing, the word it is usually the one being used in place of a more specific word. But there are other general terms you can use instead. It can refer to anything—it can refer to physical objects or articles but also to nonphysical entities. The word item can be used for tangible things (as in That item is sold out) or intangible ones (as in Let’s save that item for the next agenda). The words this and that can be used in place of it when referring to something that’s near, understood, or previously mentioned or indicated. They can also be used for emphasis. For example, instead of asking “What is it?” about some unidentifiable thing, you could ask “What is that?” It is also very commonly used to introduce sentences that use a form of the verb be, especially statements about time (as in It’s five o’clock), distance (as in It is five miles away), or the weather (as in It was raining this morning). It is also commonly used in many similar constructions (such as in phrases like How’s it going? or Where does it hurt?). All of these can often be reworded to avoid using it, as in The time is five o’clock or There was rain this morning. However, constructions using it are often the most natural-sounding. It is also used in some more specific ways. In the children’s game of tag, the word it is used to refer to the person designated as the tagger, as in Tag, you’re it! When a person is said to have “it,” this means that they possess some unique characteristic (often charisma)—sometimes known as the it factor. A girl (or, more often, a woman) who is newly popular in a certain arena might be called the it girl, as in She’s the new it girl in fashion. When capitalized, IT is a common abbreviation for information technology, which is sometimes also shortened as infotech. Another name for the IT department is the tech department.

Is it a pronoun?

Yes, it is a pronoun. The singular subject (nominative) and object form are both it. However, the plural subject form is they and the plural object form is them. The possessive form is its.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

it they them its their theirs

Meanwhile, veteran offensive lineman Kayode Awosika has recently seen first-team reps at left guard in practice; is it his job to lose now with Slaughter’s focus elsewhere?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Throughout it all, Root was as restrained with his fields as he was with his words.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

The U.S. federal government’s total debt has surpassed $40 trillion, as a tracker from the Treasury Department put it above that big milestone on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

The board also clarified it would not require the removal of trees, although limbs would need to be trimmed away from roofs and chimneys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Life for Joey is on an upswing, and she wants to keep it that way.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

The men alleged they were both stopped and searched while on the jet bridge waiting to board and each questioned by officials about drugs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Concerns include uncertainty around telecom M&A activity, the overhang from long-term contract disputes, potential satellite-coverage competition and the renewed impact from interest rates, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The foursome discover they no longer need to eat or drink.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

“These kids were trying to keep up with the Joneses because they were the Joneses,” said Joshua Marsh, a costume designer for the show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Each month, patients anxiously await their test results to find out if they still have active cases of leprosy.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“Fifty percent of our population is Venezuelan, and our ability to repatriate them has been extremely limited,” said Dawnisha Helland, ICE’s acting assistant director of enforcement and removal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Others don’t, chief among them a commitment to keep tuition flat for five years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

It’s difficult to get one’s hopes up when it comes to the dicey state of Hollywood filmmaking, and even more difficult to keep them there.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

A huge wrinkle is that larger cities and metro areas benefit from economies of scale that help insulate them: they can afford dedicated OT security staff and redundant control systems.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

I can’t see the detail in all of them, but I can make out the two biggest.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Target rose 4.3% to a 52-week high after raising its full-year sales growth forecast, as the retailer’s turnaround continued to gain traction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

This is the future of AI: a gradual adoption process that works through its problems and integrates into society without triggering economic apocalypse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Treasury Department said it would double its buyback operations for bonds maturing in 10 years or more, to at least $4 billion per operation from $2 billion currently, effective Sept. 9.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

In these, Mr. Batiste considers a fragment of Monk’s “Reflections” for its harmonic and emotional implications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

A couple of kids race past us in hot pursuit of a rez dog with a piece of frybread in its mouth.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Generally, the more of these home defenses residents adopt, the lower the risk of their home burning in a wildfire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

It also allowed him to ensure the ball was always returned to the bowler via their captain.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Both companies saw their stocks soar on the Phase 3 results for the first-of-its-kind vaccine that was described by Leerink Partners’ Daina Graybosch as “historic.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Corporations spend millions of dollars to have outside consultants and research firms come up with unique names for their products and spinoffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The artists turn the words over in their minds.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Perhaps to their point, you aren’t burdened by your own children — don’t allow yourself to be burdened by theirs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

“My whole thing is: When you use generative AI to come up with ideas, people forget what ideas were theirs and what ideas were the computer’s,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

“We have the ability to accept costs because our resources are great. Iran does not, because theirs are few,” said Barry Posen, a political science professor at MIT.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

The bakery said: "Every shop that reopens means jobs restored, a unit back in use and footfall returning to the high street, which we believe serves everyone's interests: ours, theirs and the wider local economy's."

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Thus, he was neither taken prisoner by his enemies, who had fled, nor by his auxiliaries, since he triumphed with troops other than theirs.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

it

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

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