theirs
Americanpronoun
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a form of the possessive case of plural they used as a predicate adjective, after a noun or without a noun: Oh, you know Walt and Liz—are you a friend of theirs?
It is theirs.
Oh, you know Walt and Liz—are you a friend of theirs?
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a form of the possessive case of singular they used as a predicate adjective, after a noun or without a noun.
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(used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
I have my book—does everyone else have theirs?
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(used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
The child couldn’t say whether or not the coat was theirs.
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(used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
I've already gotten my coffee, but Morgan is still waiting to get theirs.
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that which belongs to them.
The Joneses don't usually flaunt their money, but theirs is the largest house on the block.
pronoun
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something or someone belonging to or associated in some way with them
theirs is difficult
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not_standard something or someone belonging to or associated in some way with an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody
everyone thinks theirs is best
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belonging to or associated with them
Usage
See they.
Etymology
Origin of theirs
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English theires, thair(e)s, theres; their, -s 1
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.
And when you are fighting for your cause and your people, you don’t want others, who are also fighting for theirs, to win before you do.
In his letter, Grandpa told Mama and Papa that he had done some trading with a Cherokee Indian for sixty acres of virgin land, and that it was theirs if they wanted it.
From Literature
And the carrier held its expectations for the end of last year while others including Alaska Air Group and Southwest cut theirs following the government shutdown.
The Beatles invaded his country; he never played a single gig in theirs.
From Los Angeles Times
But despite the initial attraction, theirs was a love story that nearly didn't happen.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
