itsbelonging to it: This is its handle.Not to be confused with:it’s ? it is: It?s cold outside.; it has: It?s been a long winter.Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreeits (?ts)adj.The possessive form of it Used as a modifier before a noun: The airline canceled its early flight to New York.[Alteration of it’s : it + -‘s.]Usage Note: Its is the possessive form of the pronoun it and is correctly written without an apostrophe: The cat licked its paws. The contraction it’s (for it is or it has) should always have an apostrophe: It’s the funniest show I’ve seen in years. It’s been three years since our last trip to Los Angeles.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.its (?ts) determinera. of, belonging to, or associated in some way with it: its left rear wheel. b. (as pronoun): each town claims its is the best. Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014its (?ts) pron. the possessive form of it (used as an attributive adjective): The book has lost its jacket. I’m sorry about its being so late. [1590?1600; earlier it’s= it + ‘s1] usage: See me. it’s (?ts) 1. contraction of it is: It’s starting to rain. 2. contraction of it has: It’s been a long time. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.