“Their” is the possessive form of the pronoun “they,” meaning belonging to or associated with them (pronounced thair /ðɛər/). It is a possessive determiner: it sits in front of a noun to show ownership or connection, as in “their house,” “their plans,” or “their mistake.” Though traditionally plural, it also functions as a well-established gender-neutral singular, a use that has been part of English for centuries.
What does their mean?
Their signals that something belongs to, relates to, or is connected with a group or person previously referred to as “they.” It is a determiner, which means it modifies a noun rather than standing alone: “their garden,” “their opinions,” “their turn.” This distinguishes it from “theirs,” the possessive pronoun that stands independently, as in “that seat is theirs.” Their can point to two or more people (“the students packed their bags”) or to a single individual whose gender is unknown, unspecified, or nonbinary (“someone forgot their phone”). In every case, the core meaning is possession or association.
Where does their come from?
Their entered English through Norse contact. It derives from Old Norse their(r)a, the genitive plural of the pronoun their meaning “they,” and was adopted into Middle English by around the thirteenth century, gradually replacing the native Old English form hiera. This is part of a larger borrowing: the entire “they/them/their” set came from Old Norse and displaced older English pronouns, an unusually deep influence of one language on another’s core grammar. The singular use of their for one unspecified person is attested from about 1300, only a century after the plural, and appears in the work of respected writers over the centuries.
How is their used?
Their is an everyday, grammatically standard word used constantly in speech and writing. Its most common job is straightforward possession: “their address,” “their children,” “their reasons.” The singular use handles situations where the subject is one person of unknown or unstated gender, as in “if a customer complains, listen to their concern.” This avoids the clumsy “his or her” and is now endorsed by major dictionaries and style guides. Their is neutral in tone and appropriate in all registers, from casual texts to formal essays. The main pitfall is not meaning but spelling, since it is routinely confused with its homophones.
Example sentences
- “The neighbors repainted their fence over the weekend.”
- “Every applicant should submit their resume by Friday.”
- “The band thanked their fans after the final show.”
- “Someone left their keys on the counter.”
- “The committee announced their decision this morning.”
- “Alex said their flight was delayed by two hours.”
Related and confusable terms
The most important confusables are the homophones there and they’re. There refers to a place or to existence (“sit over there,” “there is a problem”), while they’re is the contraction of “they are” (“they’re arriving soon”). Their, by contrast, always shows possession. Related grammatical words include theirs (the standalone possessive pronoun), them (the object pronoun), and they (the subject pronoun). A quick test: if you can replace the word with “our” or “my,” you want the possessive their; if you can replace it with “they are,” you want they’re; if it points to a location, you want there.
Common misconceptions
A frequent misconception is that singular their is a recent invention or a grammatical error. In fact, using their for a single person of unspecified gender dates back roughly seven hundred years and appears throughout the literary tradition. Another misconception is that their and theirs are interchangeable; they are not, because their must precede a noun while theirs stands alone. Finally, the homophone mix-up with there and they’re is a spelling issue, not a meaning issue, but it is one of the most common errors in English writing, so it pays to double-check which word a sentence actually needs.
How is their used with singular they?
The singular use of their deserves a closer look, because it is where many writers hesitate. When the subject is a single person whose gender is unknown, unstated, or nonbinary, their is the natural possessive: “whoever wins should collect their prize.” This pattern lets writers avoid the clunky “his or her” and the outdated default of “his” for everyone. It is grammatically standard, endorsed by major dictionaries and leading style guides, and, far from being a modern trend, it has centuries of literary precedent. Their also pairs with singular they in everyday examples such as “a good teacher knows their students” or “tell the caller their appointment is confirmed.” The verb still agrees with they in its plural form (“they are,” not “they is”), even when the reference is to one person, which occasionally trips people up. In practice, once you are comfortable with singular they, singular their follows easily, and it makes writing both smoother and more inclusive without sacrificing correctness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does their mean?
Their is the possessive form of the pronoun they. It shows that something belongs to or is associated with them, as in "their car" or "their decision."
What is the difference between their, there, and they're?
Their shows possession (their dog), there refers to a place or existence (over there; there is), and they're is a contraction of "they are" (they're late). They sound alike but are not interchangeable.
Is it correct to use their for one person?
Yes. Singular their, used for a single person of unspecified or unstated gender, has existed since about 1300 and is accepted by major dictionaries and style guides, as in "each student brought their laptop."
Where does the word their come from?
It derives from Old Norse their(r)a, the genitive plural of the pronoun meaning "they." Middle English adopted it after Norse contact, and it replaced the older Old English form hiera.
How do you use their in a sentence?
Place it before a noun to show ownership, for example "their apartment is downtown" or "the team celebrated their victory."
Is their a pronoun or an adjective?
It functions as a possessive determiner, sometimes called a possessive adjective, because it modifies a noun. The related word "theirs" is the possessive pronoun that stands alone, as in "the choice is theirs."