language note: Our is the first person plural possessive determiner.
1. determiner
You use our to indicate that something belongs or relates both to yourself and to one or moreother people.
We're expecting our first baby.
I locked myself out of our apartment and had to break in.
Clear it away so we can put our mugs down.
2. determiner
A speaker or writer sometimes uses our to indicate that something belongs or relates to people in general.
The quality of our life depends on keeping well.
We are all entirely responsible for our actions, and for our reactions.
3. possessive determiner
Speakers sometimes use our with the name of a member of their family.
[British, dialect]
Our Barry had a habit of doing that sort of thing.
English Easy Learning GrammarDeterminersDeterminers are words that make the reference of nouns more specific. If I say ‘thiscar’ it is clear that I mean a particular car which is near me. If ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarNoun phrases with several determinersMost noun phrases contain only one determiner or none at all, but if there are more,they follow a definite order. Determiners can be divided into four ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarPossessivesPossessives are used to specify the ownership of an item, or, if the noun refers tosomething animate, to specify a relationship. That is my car. Mr Smith ... Read more
our in British English
(aʊə)
determiner
1.
of, belonging to, or associated in some way with us
our best vodka
our parents are good to us
2.
belonging to or associated with all people or people in general
our nearest planet is Venus
3.
a formal word for my used by editors or other writers, and monarchs
4. informal
(often sarcastic) used instead of your
are our feet hurting?
5. dialect
belonging to the family of the speaker
it's our Sandra's birthday tomorrow
Word origin
Old English ūre (genitive plural), from us; related to Old French, Old Saxon ūser, Old High German unsēr, Gothic unsara
-our in British English
suffix forming nouns
indicating state, condition, or activity
behaviour
labour
Word origin
in Old French -eur, from Latin -or, noun suffix
our in American English
(aʊr)
possessive pronominal adjective
of, belonging to, made by, or done by us
Word origin
ME ure < OE ure, earlier user, gen. of us (see us), akin to Ger unser
Examples of 'our' in a sentence
our
We are worried about the potential damage to our property and belongings.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Our volunteers assist people in and out of hospital.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Mainly the people who run our lives and the entertainers.
The Sun (2016)
He crossed continents for the destiny of our people and humanity.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
We will ask our people to think again about that through a general election or a new referendum.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That is the only way to deserve and to win the confidence of our great people in these days of trouble.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We don't want other people poking into our artistic pie.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There's an avalanche of entrepreneurship coming our way so we need to prepare our young people.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Our young people have silver and gold within them, and we are wasting it.
The Sun (2017)
But we've also got to invest in our own young people.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Prayer gets our people in touch with us.
Christianity Today (2000)
It has an enormous influence on young people right across our country.
The Sun (2012)
We had to undress and throw away all belongings except our shoes.
Kishlansky, Mark A. (editor) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 1: From the Beginningto 1715 (1995)
Generations of people come to our shows.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The locks were changed so that we were unable to get back in to collect our belongings.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The flat was little more than a place to store our belongings and bed down at night.
Kiam, Victor Going For It!: How to Succeed As an Entrepreneur (1986)
He wants us to sell our furniture and belongings too.
The Sun (2015)
All our belongings and household goods have been thrown out or damaged.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The job of moving our belongings into the house dulled the disappointment for the rest of the day.
Jan Fennell FRIENDS FOR LIFE (2003)
We are saying this honestly, without trying to fool our own people or the world.
Kishlansky, Mark A. (editor) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 1: From the Beginningto 1715 (1995)
That way our young people are more likely to build a lasting, loving relationship for themselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Our changes allow people 's views and other impacts to be taken into consideration much earlier.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He's given our people the chance to support.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Whereas once we were encouraged to fix our belongings, now we simply replace them.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We left that house with none of our belongings and we haven't seen him since.
The Sun (2015)
But highest on our list are people with F1 experience.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
our
British English: our /aʊə/ DETERMINER
You use our to show that something belongs to you and one or more other people.