our
pronoun
(a form of the possessive case of we used as an attributive adjective).
our
1 American
[auuhr, au-er, ahr]
/ aʊər, ˈaʊ ər, ɑr /
pronoun
-our
2
American
British.
our
1
British
/ aʊə /
determiner
-
of, belonging to, or associated in some way with us
our best vodka
our parents are good to us
-
belonging to or associated with all people or people in general
our nearest planet is Venus
-
a formal word for my used by editors or other writers, and monarchs
-
informal (often sarcastic) used instead of your
are our feet hurting?
-
dialect belonging to the family of the speaker
it's our Sandra's birthday tomorrow
-our
2
British
suffix
Grammar
See me.
Spelling
See -or 1.
Etymology
Origin of our
before 900; Middle English oure, Old English ūre, suppletive genitive plural of wē we from same base as ūs us
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“By remaining behind civilians, it makes it easier for them to shell our side of the river. They don’t even feed them—we send food ourselves, and risk losing drones.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Will we ever pay back our student loans?
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Without collaboration and transparency, management of this complex issue will continue to falter, and worse, our unhoused neighbors will continue to suffer,” the statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Alex Mahon says she's noticed an uptick in appreciation for in-person experiences like these - perhaps as a backlash to the amount of our lives now spent on a smartphone screen.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Come to our house,” she says, and hangs up.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Our security," Carson said, "is based on many considerations -our military posture, our overall economic and political strength, and our relationships with our friends and neighbors with whom we share a common danger.
From Time Magazine Archive
In certain abstract nouns from L. -or, Fr. -eur is still represented by -our, as colour, labour, honour, and in a few cases directly retained, as in grandeur.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
Another large group of hovering accents is that formed by French words with such terminations as -our, -ance, -ace, -age, -ant, -ess.
From English Verse Specimens Illustrating its Principles and History by Raymond MacDonald Alden
Our course now lay to the south of west, and -our pace was even faster than it had been in the days of poor Blackie.
From The Great Lone Land A Narrative of Travel and Adventure in the North-West of America by William Francis Butler
See -ther, and cf. -or, -our, -er. -tor-y, -sor-y, noun suffix, denoting place, as dormitory. -tude forms abstract nouns, as gratitude.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
