their

\ t͟hər, ˈt͟her

Definition of their

1 : of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action their furniture their verses their being seen

2 : his or her : his, her, its —used with an indefinite third person singular antecedentanyone in their senses— W. H. Auden

Can they be used as an indefinite subject?: Usage Guide There vs. They're vs. Their More Example Sentences Learn More about their

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Can they, their, them, and themselves be used as singular pronouns?: Usage Guide

They, their, them, themselves: English lacks a common-gender third person singular pronoun that can be used to refer to indefinite pronouns (such as everyone, anyone, someone). Writers and speakers have supplied this lack by using the plural pronouns. and every one to rest themselves betake — William Shakespeare I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly — Jane Austen it is too hideous for anyone in their senses to buy — W. H. Auden The plural pronouns have also been put to use as pronouns of indefinite number to refer to singular nouns that stand for many persons. 'tis meet that some more audience than a mother, since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear the speech — William Shakespeare a person can't help their birth — W. M. Thackeray no man goes to battle to be killed. — But they do get killed — G. B. Shaw The use of they, their, them, and themselves as pronouns of indefinite gender and indefinite number is well established in speech and writing, even in literary and formal contexts. In recent years, these pronouns have also been adopted by individuals whose gender identity is nonbinary, as illustrated in sense 3d above.

There vs. They're vs. Their

There, they're, and their: they sound the same but have different meanings and keeping them straight can be very tricky.

We'll start with there. It has the word here in it, which can help remind us that this particular word is often about location:

There it is.
Put it there.
Stay there.
We'll be there soon.

It's about location in the more abstract sense too:

There you go.
There is where we disagree.
Friends who are always there for you.

It's also the one to use as the first word in sentences that have the subject after the verb:

There goes the bus.

And it's the one used with is and are at the beginning of sentences and questions:

There are plenty available.
Is there a hotel in the town?

The other two are trickier because they both have the idea of the plural in them. Both are connected to the idea of "them."

They're means "they are":

They're (=they are) funny people.
They're (=they are) the cutest puppies ever.

It can be used of non-living things too:

They're (=they are) both really good books.
They're (=they are) two of our biggest problems.

The last of this trio, their, is the possessive form of they, so it has to do with what belongs to, relates to, or is made or done by certain people, animals, or things:

It's their house.
We're their neighbors.
The trees are losing their leaves.

And there you go. They're not an easy group of words, but with practice we know you can master their distinctions.

Examples of their in a Sentence

All the furniture in their house is brand-new. They are on friendly terms with their neighbors. The students are seeking to exercise their rights. The birds have left their nest. The trees have all shed their leaves. Their artwork is on display at the museum. He was angry because of their arriving late.

Recent Examples on the Web Also receiving votes: ’72 Lakers (13 pts), ’01 Lakers (7), ’67 76ers (2), ’03 Spurs (2), ’12 Heat (2), ’72 Bucks (1) ’83 76ers (1) and ’89 Pistons (1).*** THE PANELISTS AND THEIR BALLOTSListed alphabetically. — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, "NBA expert panel: Warriors not the greatest of all time, or even No. 2," 13 June 2017 Anti-Castro Cuban-Americans hate the idea of U.S. travelers enjoying mojitos in the police state that drove exiles from their homes and businesses. — Vivian Salama, The Seattle Times, "Trump faces tough task unwinding Obama Cuba policy," 2 June 2017 Both had been turned in by a landlord after their owner had been evicted. — Sheldon S. Shafer, The Courier-Journal, "Metro Animal Services increases adoptions, awaits new HQ," 2 June 2017 Fidel Castro slowly faded from view, becoming even less coherent, before dying at home in November, as his brother slowly rolled back their revolution. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, "The Death of Manuel Noriega—and U.S intervention in Latin America," 30 May 2017 Several years (and one divorce) later, his kids had moved to New England with their mother. — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "Another Quimby's grows in Brooklyn," 28 May 2017 Cicadas have five stages in their development, and after the first stage, each subsequent stage takes about four years to complete. — Peter Wade, Esquire, "Scientists Are Baffled by Cicadas Emerging Four Years too Soon," 28 May 2017 The two boys endured a spell in a military school before being swept up in rock music in their teens. — Bloomberg.com, "Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band Dies at 69," 27 May 2017 THEIR MAD AA HELL AND NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE! #womenleadership— Proud Gay American (@Alvin_IS_Equal) June 9, 2017@clairecmc the lone voice asking for accountability. — Rick Montgomery, kansascity.com, "‘ATTA GIRL!’ Twitter reacts as McCaskill tirade about GOP health plan goes viral," 9 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'their.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.