ours

Meaning

1. That or those belonging to us.
2. Excluding the person(s) being addressed (exclusive ours)
3. Including the person(s) being addressed (inclusive ours).
4. That or those belonging to any entity that the speaker is a part of or identifies with, such as place of employment or education, nation, region, language, etc.
5. That or those belonging to people in general.
6. That or those belonging to everyone being addressed.
7. That or those belonging to an individual being addressed; used especially to a person in the speaker's care, or to whom advice or instruction is being given.
8. Used to imply connection between the speaker's experiences or activities and a group of listeners.
9. Our house or home.

Etymology / origin

From Middle English oures, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to our + -s (compare -'s); formed by analogy to his. Displaced ourn (from Middle English ouren) in standard speech.

Related words

Sources

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