it
iht
It (pron) means used to refer to a thing, animal, or abstract idea that has already been mentioned or is understood. Example: “She picked up the book and put it on the shelf.”
pron
1
Used to refer to a thing, animal, or abstract idea that has already been mentioned or is understood.
"She picked up the book and put it on the shelf."
"It's going to rain later, according to the forecast."
"The puppy is tiny, but it already barks loudly."
2
Used as a placeholder subject in sentences describing weather, time, or general conditions.
"It's already nine o'clock."
"It's important to arrive early."
"It was freezing outside, so we stayed indoors."
How to use it
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe pronoun used for things, ideas, animals, or as a grammatical placeholder subject, rather than for people.
Common pairings
it's raining
take it
make it
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Word forms
- Plural
- they, them
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She picked up the book and put _____ on the shelf.
Etymology
From Old English hit, from Proto-Germanic hit, related to this and here.
Frequently asked questions
What does “it” mean?
The word “it” means used to refer to a thing, animal, or abstract idea that has already been mentioned or is understood. In plain terms, the pronoun used for things, ideas, animals, or as a grammatical placeholder subject, rather than for people.
How do you pronounce “it”?
“It” is pronounced iht (/ɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “it” in a sentence?
Here is “it” used in a sentence: “She picked up the book and put it on the shelf.”
What part of speech is “it”?
“It” is a pronoun.
Where does the word “it” come from?
The word “it” comes from Old English. From Old English hit, from Proto-Germanic hit, related to this and here.
Is “it” a common word?
“It” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “it” have?
“It” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: used to refer to a thing, animal, or abstract idea that has already been mentioned or is understood.
What is the difference between "its" and "it's"?
"It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has": "it's raining." "Its" with no apostrophe is the possessive form: "the dog wagged its tail." Test by expanding the word: if "it is" or "it has" does not fit the sentence, write "its."
What does "it" refer to in "It is raining"?
In sentences about weather, time, distance, and general conditions, "it" is a placeholder (or "dummy") subject with no real meaning: "It's raining", "It's five o'clock." English requires every full sentence to have a subject, and "it" simply fills that slot.
Can "it" refer to a person?
Normally no — people take "he", "she", or "they." "It" appears only in limited cases such as identifying someone ("Who is it?" — "It's Sam"), and using "it" for a person otherwise sounds impolite.
What is the difference between "it" and "this" when referring back to something?
"It" refers neutrally to a thing already mentioned: "I read the report. It was long." "This" adds emphasis and often points to a whole idea or situation just described: "The report was ignored. This surprised everyone."
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing it in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
If it rains too much, the bees can't leave their hives to gather food, so Bradshaw has to supplement their stores with artificial protein and sugar syrup.
From
CNBC · Jul 25, 2026
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