ours
Ours (pron) means the thing or things belonging to the speaker and others, used without a following noun. Example: “That car in the driveway is ours.”
How to use ours
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe stand-alone version of "our" — used instead of, not alongside, a noun.
Never write "our's" with an apostrophe — "ours" has none, just like "his" and "hers."
Word forms
ours plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
That car in the driveway is _____.
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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