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

Kalshi has belatedly fielded “responsible trading” tools, mostly modeled on the sportsbooks it decries as less responsible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

When it broke open again, starting with the “Muslim ban” in 2017, I felt compelled to explore my family’s past in the hope it might help me better understand the present.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

To avoid it, review withholding and quarterly payments, especially if income has been uneven.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Congress often uses it as the threshold for a host of phase-ins, phaseouts and other provisions to raise revenue or stanch revenue loss.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Gertie’s father tried to send her away, but it didn’t work.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

And if they don’t make it back down to share that peace with the rest of us, it might be enough to experience it just once.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

They argue mistrial procedures were properly followed by the court, and thus they have a right to seek justice again on behalf of the children.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

The stories of men like my great-grandfather and the false children they brought over show how difficult that it is to do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Some may be driven to climb Everest just to say that they did it, while others are looking for something else, something with no name.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

She tells Marie Dachauer how much she wishes they had music or toys or any games to play.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

How can someone have young children and decide to part with them for two months for a climb that is about, at face value, little more than bragging rights?

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

He twice stepped back into the dugout in Celtic's hour of need last season and ultimately led them to a league and cup double.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

They also incorporated the geological ages of fossil specimens, helping them estimate when different evolutionary branches separated.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

These constraints may force a reckoning with the concentration of power that helped create them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Reaching around me, he places them inside the wagon.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Almgren finished the course, known for its long inclined bridges and sharp turns, in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second—13 seconds ahead of Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

They don’t just want to summit the mountain from its treacherous north face; they want to be the first people ever to ski down it.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

A mothers' support service has said it is "absolutely thrilled" after it received £70,000 worth of grants to maintain its in-person wellbeing groups.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Mr. Mansour argues that Kalshi’s fee-per-transaction model means it doesn’t make money off of losers, ostensibly limiting its incentive to encourage addiction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

What happened this morning becomes the talk of the school and makes its way into our classrooms.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

This has prompted dozens of states to sue, arguing that Kalshi is an unlicensed sportsbook operating in violation of their laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

In their quest, personal glory and public vanity are forever at odds.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

Cleveland’s repeal of the 1890 Sherman Silver Purchase Act curtailed the monetary expansion that struggling farmers hoped would ease their debts, fracturing congressional Democrats and forcing the president to rely on conservative Republicans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

But their shared lust for adventure created a prickly tension within their family unit, a strain between their passion and parentage that sits at the documentary’s emotional center.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

Many of those suffering from the disease never see or speak to their families again.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Solea Pfeiffer and Liisi LaFontaine star in the Broadway show about the lengths people are willing to go to protect their family and claim what is rightfully theirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Our next-door neighbors have been in theirs for 19 years, and for most of that time we thought of ourselves as friends rather than just neighbors.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026

Sometimes, a voter will call the local registrar to request a new one because theirs has not arrived by mail — only to have the original eventually show up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

“No mayor has retained the same police commissioner from the administration prior to theirs since 1964,” she said, referring to Tisch, who was elevated under the previous mayor, Eric Adams.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

Benji paid theirs and the Uber driver’s tab.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

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