Note: Do not confuse their, which has to do with what belongs to or is associated with them, with the words there and they're. There has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location ("moving away from there," "there it is," "a friend who's there for you"), while they're is a contraction of "they are" ("when they're ready").
Can they, their, theirs, them, themself, and themselves be used to refer to one person?: Usage Guide
Words like everyone, anyone, and someone are typically understood as singular, which means that logically they should be paired with a singular pronoun like him or her. However, neither of the following examples are acceptable to the modern speaker unless the person referred to is known to be male or known to be female:
His or her, him or her, and similar combinations were formerly recommended instead, but widely disliked. Fortunately, a simpler solution is available: they—and the related forms them, their, theirs, and themselves—have done the job for centuries, and are now widely accepted.
Jane Austen
Lucy Maud Montgomery
William Shakespeare
Louisa May Alcott
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Additionally, the form themself, which was all but eclipsed by themselves in the late 16th century, has recently seen an increase in use as an alternative to singular themselves.
James Lewis Hoberman
They and related forms are also commonly used to refer to someone whose identity is unknown, unspecified, or intentionally not revealed, or to singular nouns that stand for any person or many persons.
Zach Nunn
Ida Alexa Ross Wylie
George Bernard Shaw
Mary Gabriel
These forms are also often preferred by those whose gender identity is nonbinary.
Maddy Shred
Aidin Vaziri
Eduardo Medina and Jacey Fortin
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There vs. They're vs. Their
There, they're, and their: they sound the same but have different meanings and keeping them straight can be very tricky.
We'll start with there. It has the word here in it, which can help remind us that this particular word is often about location:
There it is.
Put it there.
Stay there.
We'll be there soon.
It's about location in the more abstract sense too:
There you go.
There is where we disagree.
Friends who are always there for you.
It's also the one to use as the first word in sentences that have the subject after the verb:
There goes the bus.
And it's the one used with is and are at the beginning of sentences and questions:
There are plenty available.
Is there a hotel in the town?
The other two are trickier because they both have the idea of the plural in them. Both are connected to the idea of "them."
They're means "they are":
They're (=they are) funny people.
They're (=they are) the cutest puppies ever.
It can be used of non-living things too:
They're (=they are) both really good books.
They're (=they are) two of our biggest problems.
The last of this trio, their, is the possessive form of they, so it has to do with what belongs to, relates to, or is made or done by certain people, animals, or things:
It's their house.
We're their neighbors.
The trees are losing their leaves.
And there you go. They're not an easy group of words, but with practice we know you can master their distinctions.
Examples of their in a Sentence
Vivian Salama, The Seattle Times, 2 June 2017
Both had been turned in by a landlord after their owner had been evicted.
—Sheldon S. Shafer, The Courier-Journal, 2 June 2017
Fidel Castro slowly faded from view, becoming even less coherent, before dying at home in November, as his brother slowly rolled back their revolution.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 30 May 2017
Several years (and one divorce) later, his kids had moved to New England with their mother.
—Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 28 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for their
Video
There, They're, Their
There, there. We'll sort it out.
Cite this Entry
“Their.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/their. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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their
adjective
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