ours
OW-uhz
Ours (pron) means the thing or things belonging to the speaker and others, used without a following noun. Example: “We forgot our umbrella, so Tom lent us his, but ours is still at home.”
pron
1
The thing or things belonging to the speaker and others, used without a following noun.
"We forgot our umbrella, so Tom lent us his, but ours is still at home."
"That car in the driveway is ours."
"Their garden is nice, but ours has more flowers."
How to use ours
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe stand-alone version of "our" — used instead of, not alongside, a noun.
Common mistake
Never write "our's" with an apostrophe — "ours" has none, just like "his" and "hers."
Easily confused with
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Word forms
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We forgot our umbrella, so Tom lent us his, but _____ is still at home.
Etymology
Formed in Middle English from "our" plus "-s," following the same pattern as "his."
Rhymes for ours
See all rhymes for ours →Frequently asked questions
What does “ours” mean?
The word “ours” means the thing or things belonging to the speaker and others, used without a following noun. In plain terms, the stand-alone version of "our" — used instead of, not alongside, a noun.
How do you pronounce “ours”?
“Ours” is pronounced OW-uhz (/ˈaʊɚz/ in IPA).
How do you use “ours” in a sentence?
Here is “ours” used in a sentence: “That car in the driveway is ours.”
What part of speech is “ours”?
“Ours” is a pronoun.
Where does the word “ours” come from?
The word “ours” comes from Middle English. Formed in Middle English from "our" plus "-s," following the same pattern as "his.".
Is “ours” a common word?
“Ours” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between 'ours' and 'our'?
'Our' is a possessive determiner that comes before a noun, as in 'our house.' 'Ours' is a possessive pronoun that stands alone without a following noun, as in 'the house is ours.'
Does 'ours' ever take an apostrophe, as in 'our's'?
No. 'Ours' is never written with an apostrophe, and the spelling 'our's' is always incorrect. Like the other possessive pronouns (yours, hers, its, theirs), it forms the possessive without one.
What is the difference between 'ours' and 'theirs'?
Both are possessive pronouns used without a following noun, but 'ours' refers to something belonging to the speaker and others, while 'theirs' refers to something belonging to a third group. For example, 'This table is ours; that one is theirs.'
Is 'ours' singular or plural?
'Ours' always implies more than one owner, since it means belonging to the speaker plus at least one other person. The thing owned, however, can be singular or plural, as in 'that car is ours' or 'those seats are ours.'
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