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View definitions for it

it

pronoun as in nominative singular pronoun

Strongest matches

pronoun as in objective singular pronoun

noun as in sex appeal

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Example Sentences

He made an easy target, the know-it-all liberal egghead who demeaned the wisdom of the American people.

On her own path, though, the “relationship know-it-all” is embracing her own, different natural progression.

In her Twitter profile bio, writer Liz Tuccillo calls herself a “relationship know-it-all.”

The Lennon Wall in Admiralty is a mosaic of Post-It notes, each square a scribbled wish.

Its only failure was that it lacked the right kind of losing-it drama Oscar night watchers crave.

I was "strung up" to a high degree of expectation and listened every moment to hear the panpipes and the Roo-too-too-it.

And yet—can you understand it?With a tender smile and a tear, And a half-compassionate yearning,I felt her grown more dear.

He wuz very peart and sassy, and it was take-it-or-leave-it-and-be-plaguey- quick-about-it all the time.

But in that other heart how was it?how with the sweet saint that was talking to herself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs?

What was there hidden under that despairing wail?it was the parting of the last strand of the cord of youthful hope.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for it?

The pronoun it is commonly used to refer to something without naming it. The plural pronoun they can be used to refer to multiple things in this way, as can the object form them.

The word it is sometimes used to refer to an animal, and in some cases it can refer to an unknown person, such as when someone knocks on the door and you ask “Who is it?” (Otherwise, though, referring to a person as it for any reason is extremely offensive.)

Most commonly, it is used to refer to things.

Like the word thing, the word it is usually the one being used in place of a more specific word. But there are other general terms you can use instead.

It can refer to anything—it can refer to physical objects or articles but also to nonphysical entities. The word item can be used for tangible things (as in That item is sold out) or intangible ones (as in Let’s save that item for the next agenda).

The words this and that can be used in place of it when referring to something that’s near, understood, or previously mentioned or indicated. They can also be used for emphasis. For example, instead of asking “What is it?” about some unidentifiable thing, you could ask “What is that?”

It is also very commonly used to introduce sentences that use a form of the verb be, especially statements about time (as in It’s five o’clock), distance (as in It is five miles away), or the weather (as in It was raining this morning). It is also commonly used in many similar constructions (such as in phrases like How’s it going? or Where does it hurt?). All of these can often be reworded to avoid using it, as in The time is five o’clock or There was rain this morning. However, constructions using it are often the most natural-sounding.

It is also used in some more specific ways.

In the children’s game of tag, the word it is used to refer to the person designated as the tagger, as in Tag, you’re it!

When a person is said to have “it,” this means that they possess some unique characteristic (often charisma)—sometimes known as the it factor. A girl (or, more often, a woman) who is newly popular in a certain arena might be called the it girl, as in She’s the new it girl in fashion. 

When capitalized, IT is a common abbreviation for information technology, which is sometimes also shortened as infotech. Another name for the IT department is the tech department.

Is it a pronoun?

Yes, it is a pronoun. The singular subject (nominative) and object form are both it. However, the plural subject form is they and the plural object form is them. The possessive form is its.

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On this page you'll find 49 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to it, such as: i, you, he, she, they, and ve.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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