Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Used as a modifier before a noun.
  • adjective Usage Problem His, her, or its.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See they.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • preposition The possessive case of the personal pronoun they.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • pronoun possessive Belonging to, from, of, or relating to, them.
  • pronoun possessive Belonging to someone of unspecified gender.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old Norse theira, theirs; see to- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  •  The creature kingdom was sure of their cause and resolute in their determination to become free from the despoilment by the beasts of theupright worms:  their canine accomplices.

    Animal Park (Part I) 2010

  • Companies such as Google, Walmart, eBay, and FedEx are already using larger stacks of the blocks at their facilities in California, where state and federal tax credits for alternative-energy systems defray their  steep cost.

    Bloom Box gets buzz going with promise of cheaper, cleaner energy 2010

  • They crashed on the floor and slept 2 in the bed...good guys, it was their first night of five days..their blog is www.facebook.com/pages/braking-in-albania/67696485800.

    Biker dudes Albanian Pete 2009

  • Companies Lack: Foreign firms and govts are increasing their lobbying efforts in DC and state capitals, hoping to sell “their expertise in clean energy, high-speed transit and other technologies that under gird key aspects of Obama’s stimulus efforts.

    OpEdNews - Quicklink: Foreign Firms Eye Stimulus Dollars Lobbying DC & State Capitals 2009

  • However, consider this: the more unusual and over-scrutinised their upbringing in the media, the more the children can make from selling *their* story.

    Why People Hate the Octomom, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • They crashed on the floor and slept 2 in the bed...good guys, it was their first night of five days..their blog is www.facebook.com/pages/braking-in-albania/67696485800.

    Archive 2009-03-01 Albanian Pete 2009

  • Companies Lack: Foreign firms and govts are increasing their lobbying efforts in DC and state capitals, hoping to sell “their expertise in clean energy, high-speed transit and other technologies that under gird key aspects of Obama’s stimulus efforts.

    OpEdNews - Quicklink: Foreign Firms Eye Stimulus Dollars Lobbying DC & State Capitals 2009

  • And it seems to me that to protest their right to do so, not only ignores *their* agency, it also negates the relationship.

    On Our Anniversary Weekend, and the Invitation from the Stake President. | Mind on Fire 2009

  • BUT -- even Clinton supporters will, in their hearts, have to admit that if * their* candidate had the majority of pledged delegates, superdelegates, total delegates, contests won and Obmaa had a 0.5% lead in the popular vote, they would truly go nuclear if someone argued that because of that he should be the nominee.

    Ickes: Uncommitted Delegates Must Stay Uncommitted 2009

  • I must mention the volunteers of this Pandal in designer threads made for the occasion are exemplary in their duty to Ma Durga ..their humility touched me immensely.

    Archive 2009-09-01 photographerno1 2009

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