ours

ours — pronoun

1. used instead of a noun to show that a person, thing, or place belongs to us or i

1.pronounA2
Definition

used instead of a noun to show that a person, thing, or place belongs to us or is connected with us.

Example

That blue tent is ours, and the green one is Leo's.

be ours for stated possession

After the meeting, the corner office will be ours again.

Common collocations
  • be ours
  • a friend of ours
  • ours to make
  • the choice is ours
  • ours again
Synonyms
  • our own

    adds emphasis that the thing belongs to us and not to others

  • belonging to us

    an explanatory phrase rather than a normal pronoun form

Antonyms
  • theirs

    shows that something belongs to another group of people

  • yours

    shows that something belongs to the listener or listeners

Grammar Patterns

be ours

a/an + noun + of ours

be ours to + verb

Usage Note

Used after a verb or after 'of' in phrases like 'a friend of ours'; it does not go directly before a noun. Before a noun, use 'our', as in 'our tent'.

Common Mistakes

This blue tent is our.
This blue tent is ours.
use 'ours' when the noun is not repeated.
Ours teacher is absent today.
Our teacher is absent today.
'ours' cannot go directly before a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: pronoun/1

For pronoun/1, ours is the standalone possessive form. It replaces a noun after the listener already knows what thing or place you mean: 'The corner desk is ours.' Our is different because it must come before a noun, as in 'our desk'. Our own adds emphasis and often contrasts what belongs to us with what belongs to other people: 'We finally have a room of our own.' Theirs helps show the opposite side of the same idea. A simple rule is: use our before a noun, use ours when the noun is left out, and use our own when you want extra stress.

our ↗our owntheirs ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • be ours
  • a friend of ours
  • ours to make

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Ours' grew out of the older word our. Old English had ure for 'our', and later English developed a separate form, ours, for places where the noun is left out, as in 'the house is ours'. It follows the same possessive pattern as yours and theirs.