ours
- 1Used to talk about a thing or things that belong to us.
That red bike by the front door is ours.
Their yard is much bigger than ours.
Note
- 2Belonging to my group but not to you, the person I am talking to.
Like telling a guest, 'This is my family's, not yours.'
The decision was ours, not yours. Your team had no say.
Those seats are ours, so you'll need to find your own.
Note
- 3Belonging to my group and to you too, the person I am talking to.
Like saying, 'This belongs to all of us here: you too.'
This victory is ours: yours and mine together.
The future is ours to build, every one of us in this room.
Note
- 4Belonging to a group, place, or team that I feel part of, like my country or school.
Like fans saying 'our team won' about their city's team.
The new library downtown is ours, paid for by everyone in the city.
Their food is famous, but this recipe is ours. It started right here.
- 5Belonging to all people, as something everyone shares.
Like the sunshine: it belongs to everyone alive.
The night sky is ours. Anyone on Earth can look up and enjoy it.
Clean air should be ours, something every person can count on.
- 6Used by a speaker about their own activities or experiences, to make a group of listeners feel part of them.
Welcome back to my channel! Lots of cookies crack in the oven, but ours came out smooth today.
Remember the tomato plant I told you about, class? Ours finally has fruit!
- 7Belonging to all of you that I am talking to, said as if I share it too.
Great work, everyone. The win is ours!
Dig in, folks, this whole feast is ours tonight.
- 8Belonging to the one person I am talking to, said by someone caring for them, and it can sound like talking down.
Now then, is this cozy chair by the window ours? Let's get you comfortable.
That little bell is ours, dear. Just ring it whenever you need help.
Note
- 9My family's house or home.
Come over to ours after work for dinner.
The whole group came back to ours for coffee after the show.
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of ours apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From Middle English oures, used since the 1300s. It comes from "our" plus an "-s" ending, made to match words like "his."