Our Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/ˈaʊər/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Adjective or Pronoun

Definition

A term used to refer to something that belongs to or is associated with oneself or one’s group, such as a family, organization, or community.

Examples

1. “This is our car.”

2. “We’re going to our house for dinner.”

Synonyms

1. Our own

2. Our family’s

Antonyms

1. Someone else’s

2. Their

Etymology

The word “our” is derived from the Old English word “ūr”, which was used to indicate possession or association. Over time, the spelling and pronunciation of the word evolved to become the modern English word “our”.

Usage Notes

The word “our” is often used to indicate possession or association, but it can also be used as a pronoun to refer to oneself or one’s group. For example, “This is our car” indicates that the car belongs to oneself or one’s group, while “We’re going to our house” refers to the speaker’s own house.

It’s worth noting that the word “our” can be used in different contexts, such as in formal or informal writing, and in different regions or cultures. For example, in some regions, “our” is used more frequently than in others, and in formal writing, “our” may be used more sparingly than in informal writing.

Cultural References

The word “our” has been used in various cultural references, such as in literature, music, and film. For example, in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the character Scout Finch uses the word “our” to refer to her family’s home.

In music, the word “our” has been used in song titles and lyrics, such as in the song “Our House” by Madness.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

1. “Our loss is their gain” – This phrase suggests that someone else’s gain is a result of one’s own loss.

2. “Our time is running out” – This phrase suggests that time is limited and something needs to be done quickly.

Related Words or Phrases

1. Mine – This word is similar to “our” in that it indicates possession or association.

2. Their – This word is similar to “our” in that it indicates possession or association, but it refers to someone else’s rather than one’s own.

Collocations

1. Our house – This phrase is a common collocation that refers to one’s own home.

2. Our family – This phrase is a common collocation that refers to one’s own family.

Frequency of Use

The word “our” is a very common word in modern English, and it is used frequently in both formal and informal writing and speech.

According to the Corpus of Contemporary American English, the word “our” is used in approximately 1.4% of all written English texts.

Common Misspellings

1. Ore – This is a common misspelling of the word “our”, which is often used in informal writing or speech.

2. Ourr – This is another common misspelling of the word “our”, which is often used in informal writing or speech.