theirs

The red bicycle parked by the fence is theirs.

Definition

Possessive Pronoun:
- Belonging to them: "theirs" is used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with a group of people, animals, or things previously mentioned or easily identified. It replaces a noun phrase like "their + noun" to avoid repetition.
- As a standalone possessive: It functions as a pronoun, meaning it takes the place of a noun and cannot be directly followed by a noun itself.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

"theirs" in formal or literary contexts: Used to refer to abstract possessions or qualities.
- The victory was theirs after a hard-fought battle. (The victory belonged to them.)
"theirs" with collective nouns: Can refer to a group as a single entity.
- The team celebrated their win; the glory was theirs. (The glory belonged to the team.)

Variants and Related Words

Their (possessive determiner): used before a noun to show ownership.
- Their car is parked outside. (The car belonging to them.)
Them (objective pronoun): used as the object of a verb or preposition.
- I gave the book to them. (To the group of people.)
They (subject pronoun): used as the subject of a verb.
- They are coming to the party. (The group of people.)

Synonyms

Belonging to them: No direct synonym exists as a pronoun; the phrase "belonging to them" can be used.
Their own: An emphatic form, though not a direct synonym.
- They built their own house; it is theirs. (Emphasizes ownership.)

Related Idioms

"What's theirs is theirs": An expression meaning that someone's possessions are exclusively their own.
- They are very private; what's theirs is theirs, and they don't share. (Their possessions are kept to themselves.)
"Theirs to lose": A phrase meaning that a person or group is in a position of advantage and only failure can prevent them from succeeding.
- With a five-goal lead, the championship was theirs to lose. (They were likely to win unless they made mistakes.)

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