Word
ours
US/ˈaʊɝz/
UK/ˈaʊəz/
Definitions
01belonging to us
A2 · Elementary
pron. the thing or things that belong to you and the people you are with.
pron. the possessive pronoun used to refer to something previously mentioned that belongs to the speaker and others.
“We didn't have a map, but our friends let us borrow ours.”
“While their research focused on urban development, ours was concerned primarily with the ecological impact of rural expansion.”
Pitfall
The blue car is our's.
The blue car is ours.
Possessive pronouns like 'ours', 'yours', and 'hers' never take an apostrophe.
02our home
B1 · Intermediate Informal
pron. your house or the place where you live.
pron. used informally to refer to the speaker's residence or household.
“Why don't you come over to ours for dinner on Friday night?”
“After the concert ended, the whole group headed back to ours to continue the celebration until the early hours of the morning.”
Synonyms
03belonging to our group
B2 · Upper Intermediate
pron. belonging to a group you identify with, like your company, school, or country.
pron. indicates belonging to a collective entity with which the speaker identifies, such as an institution or nation.
“Their school has a new gym, but ours has a better library.”
“While many competing firms struggled during the recession, ours managed to maintain steady growth through diversified investments.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “ours” in context.
Verb
01. be ours
“The final decision on which car to buy will be ours.”
verb + noun
02. keep what is ours
“We need to protect our property and keep what is ours.”
verb + noun
03. make it ours
“We bought an old house and spent months trying to make it ours.”
verb + noun + noun
Preposition
04. beside ours
“Their house is located right beside ours on the same street.”
prep + noun
05. like ours
“It is rare to find a garden as beautiful as ours.”
prep + noun
06. of ours
“A good friend of ours is coming to visit this weekend.”
prep + noun
Etymology
From Middle English oures, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to our + -s (compare -'s); formed by analogy to his. Displaced ourn (from Middle English ouren) in standard speech.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 2
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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