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It   /ɪt/   Listen
pronoun
It  pron.  The neuter pronoun of the third person, corresponding to the masculine pronoun he and the feminine she, and having the same plural (they, their or theirs, them). Note: The possessive form its is modern, being rarely found in the writings of Shakespeare and Milton, and not at all in the original King James's version of the Bible. During the transition from the regular his to the anomalous its, it was to some extent employed in the possessive without the case ending. See His, and He. In Dryden's time its had become quite established as the regular form. "The day present hath ever inough to do with it owne grief." "Do, child, go to it grandam, child." "It knighthood shall do worse. It shall fright all it friends with borrowing letters." Note: In the course of time, the nature of the neuter sign t in it, the form being found in but a few words, became misunderstood. Instead of being looked upon as an affix, it passed for part of the original word. Hence was formed from it the anomalous genitive its, superseding the Saxon his. "The fruit tree yielding fruit after his (its) kind." It is used,
1.
As a substance for any noun of the neuter gender; as, here is the book, take it home.
2.
As a demonstrative, especially at the beginning of a sentence, pointing to that which is about to be stated, named, or mentioned, or referring to that which apparent or well known; as, I saw it was John. "It is I; be not afraid." "Peter heard that it was the Lord." Often, in such cases, as a substitute for a sentence or clause; as, it is thought he will come; it is wrong to do this.
3.
As an indefinite nominative for a impersonal verb; as, it snows; it rains.
4.
As a substitute for such general terms as, the state of affairs, the condition of things, and the like; as, how is it with the sick man? "Think on me when it shall be well with thee."
5.
As an indefinite object after some intransitive verbs, or after a substantive used humorously as a verb; as, to foot it (i. e., to walk). "The Lacedemonians, at the Straits of Thermopylae, when their arms failed them, fought it out with nails and teeth." "Whether the charmer sinner it, or saint it, If folly grows romantic, I must paint it."
Its self. See Itself.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"It" Quotes from Famous Books



... shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8. Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. 9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that ...
— Expositions of Holy Scripture - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers • Alexander Maclaren
... between himself and the thing that he desired. To Marion's own words, while they had been spoken only to himself, he had given no absolute credit. He had been able to declare to her that her fears were vain, and that whether she were weak or whether she were strong, it was her duty to come to him. When they two had been together his arguments and assurances had convinced at any rate himself. The love which he had seen in her eyes and had heard from her lips had ...
— Marion Fay • Anthony Trollope
... vigorous effort, those who were tugging at the ropes succeeded in moving the coffin a little, and that first step was all the difficulty, for it was loosened from the adhesive soil in which it lay, and now came ...
— Varney the Vampire - Or the Feast of Blood • Thomas Preskett Prest
... that, Virtue is taken in two ways, in a strict sense and in a broad sense. Taken strictly virtue is a perfection, as stated in Phys. vii, 17, 18. Wherefore anything that is inconsistent with perfection, though it be good, falls short of the notion of virtue. Now shamefacedness is inconsistent with perfection, because it is the fear of something base, namely of that which is disgraceful. Hence Damascene says (De Fide Orth. ii, 15) that "shamefacedness is fear of a base action." Now just ...
— Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) • Thomas Aquinas
... evils of the mass were so much clearer even at this period, he should, after seven years more time for study, and in times of peace and security, express his abhorrence of this Romish error in such strong terms as we meet in the Smalcald Articles. Indeed, it was this undecided character of the Augsburg Confession on some points, which led the Elector, who, in other respects valued it highly, to have this new Confession prepared by Luther for the Council, which Pope Paul III. [sic] had convoked, to meet at Mantua, in 1537, for the purpose of ...
— American Lutheranism Vindicated; or, Examination of the Lutheran Symbols, on Certain Disputed Topics • Samuel Simon Schmucker


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