1
: that one
—used as subject or direct object or indirect object of a verb or object of a preposition usually in reference to a lifeless thing
took a quick look at the house and noticed it was very old
, a plantthere is a rosebush near the fence and it is now blooming
, a person or animal whose sex is unknown or disregardeddon't know who it is
, a group of individuals or things, or an abstract entitybeauty is everywhere and it is a source of joy
compare he, its, she, they
2
—used as subject of an impersonal verb that expresses a condition or action without reference to an agent
it is raining
3
a
—used as anticipatory subject or object of a verb
it is necessary to repeat the whole thing
—often used to shift emphasis to a part of a statement other than the subjectit was in this city that the treaty was signed
b
—used with many verbs as a direct object with little or no meaning
footed it back to camp
4
—used to refer to an explicit or implicit state of affairs or circumstances
how is it going
5
: a crucial or climactic point
this is it
: the player in a game who performs the principal action of the game (such as trying to find others in hide-and-seek)
Italian; Italy
information technology
Examples of it in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025
The majority of them belong to the it-girl clique of Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), the popular girl with a penchant for bullying Lori about her mother's reputation.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025
With Martha Stewart, Katie Holmes, and scores of other celebrities now sporting the workwear staple, shoppers can’t get enough of the it-coat’s boxy fit, plethora of pockets, all-day comfort, and instant, uncomplicated style.
—Miles Walls, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Her lore encompassed not only the pop princess but also the club maven and the Tumblr poet, the it girl and the over-it girl.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Some of its popularity is, of course, due to Charli XCX’s it-girl status in pop.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 21 June 2024
Fifth straight game with a it vs. Alana Vawter for Carlson.
—oregonlive, 12 May 2023
Neo-mint was once forecast as the It shade of 2020, but the color cropping up three years later doesn’t feel delayed—its influence is, clearly, evergreen.
—Rosie Jarman, ELLE, 1 May 2023
Shop Delphiniums 12 Endless Summer Hydrangea Hydrangea are the it flower of summer.
—Erynn Hassinger, Country Living, 22 Apr. 2023
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Noun
In the fall of 2025, all of the it-girls look to be obsessed with a color straight out of the ’60s.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025
The majority of them belong to the it-girl clique of Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), the popular girl with a penchant for bullying Lori about her mother's reputation.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025
With Martha Stewart, Katie Holmes, and scores of other celebrities now sporting the workwear staple, shoppers can’t get enough of the it-coat’s boxy fit, plethora of pockets, all-day comfort, and instant, uncomplicated style.
—Miles Walls, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Her lore encompassed not only the pop princess but also the club maven and the Tumblr poet, the it girl and the over-it girl.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Some of its popularity is, of course, due to Charli XCX’s it-girl status in pop.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 21 June 2024
Fifth straight game with a it vs. Alana Vawter for Carlson.
—oregonlive, 12 May 2023
Neo-mint was once forecast as the It shade of 2020, but the color cropping up three years later doesn’t feel delayed—its influence is, clearly, evergreen.
—Rosie Jarman, ELLE, 1 May 2023
Shop Delphiniums 12 Endless Summer Hydrangea Hydrangea are the it flower of summer.
—Erynn Hassinger, Country Living, 22 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“It.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/it. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
it
1 of 2 pronoun
(ˈ)it 
ət
1
: that one
—used usually to refer to a lifeless thing
caught the ball and threw it back
, a living thing whose sex is unknown or disregardeddon't know who it is
, a group, or an abstract entity
2
—used as subject of a verb that expresses a condition or action without a doer
it is raining
3
a
—used in the usual place of a noun, phrase, or clause not in its ordinary place
it is necessary to repeat the whole thing
it was here that I lost my way
b
—used as a direct object with little or no meaning
footed it back to camp
4
: the general state of affairs
how is it going
it
2 of 2 noun
: the player in a game (as tag) who has to catch the others
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