English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
Login Flashcards
det A1 Beginner Very common

our

OW-uh
Quiz me More like this

Our (det) means belonging to or associated with the speaker and at least one other person. Example: “We packed our bags and left early in the morning.”

det
1
Belonging to or associated with the speaker and at least one other person.
"We packed our bags and left early in the morning."
"Our team won the championship this year."
"Our neighbours often borrow our ladder when they clean their windows."

How to use our

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe possessive form of "we" — used before a noun, unlike "ours."

Common mistake

"Our" and "hour" sound identical but mean completely different things — check the context.

Easily confused with
hour → ours →
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like our.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Test yourself on “our” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

We packed _____ bags and left early in the morning.

Etymology

From Old English ūre, tracing back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "of us."

Origin: Old English

Rhymes for our

hour four your pour sour tour dour flour scour odour amour colour
See all rhymes for our →

Frequently asked questions

What does “our” mean?
The word “our” means belonging to or associated with the speaker and at least one other person. In plain terms, the possessive form of "we" — used before a noun, unlike "ours.".
How do you pronounce “our”?
“Our” is pronounced OW-uh (/æwɝ/ in IPA).
How do you use “our” in a sentence?
Here is “our” used in a sentence: “We packed our bags and left early in the morning.”
What part of speech is “our”?
“Our” is a det.
Where does the word “our” come from?
The word “our” comes from Old English. From Old English ūre, tracing back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "of us.".
Is “our” a common word?
“Our” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between our and ours?
"Our" is a determiner and must come before a noun ("our house"), while "ours" stands alone ("the house is ours"). "Ours" never takes an apostrophe — "our's" is always incorrect.
What is the difference between our and are?
"Our" is a possessive meaning belonging to us ("our plans"), while "are" is a form of the verb "be" ("they are ready"). They get confused because in fast speech "our" is often pronounced like "are," but in writing they are never interchangeable.
Does our include the person you are talking to?
It can, but it does not have to. "Our" covers the speaker plus at least one other person; that other person may be the listener ("our conversation") or someone else entirely ("our team beat yours"). English has no separate inclusive and exclusive forms, so context makes the meaning clear.
What is the difference between our and hour?
"Our" is the possessive of "we," while "hour" is a unit of time equal to sixty minutes. They are pronounced identically in most accents, making them classic homophones, but they are unrelated in meaning and spelling.

Example sentences

Real-world examples showing our in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

It leans into the "space cop" vibe, reveals that shapeshifting Manhunters will be central to the plot, takes us into outer space, and also gives us our first look at Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), a former Corps member gone rogue.
From Ars Technica · Jul 25, 2026

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include our:

3 letter words Words that start with O Words that end with R A1 vocabulary words The 100 most common English words The 500 most common English words The 1000 most common English words The 2000 most common English words The 5000 most common English words