his
his
Pronunciation
his:
/h/ - voiceless glottal fricative
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/z/ - voiced alveolar sibilant
Word Form Variations
The word "his" primarily functions as a pronoun (possessive) and a determiner (possessive adjective). It does not have singular or plural forms in the traditional sense, as it inherently indicates possession by a singular male or masculine entity. It is already a possessive form.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Pronoun
his
Definition: Belonging to or associated with a male person, animal, or a thing previously mentioned or identifiable as masculine. It functions as a possessive pronoun, replacing a possessive noun phrase.
Synonyms: (None directly, as it's a specific possessive pronoun)
Antonyms: hers, theirs, ours, yours, mine
Determiner (Possessive Adjective)
his
Definition: Used before a noun to show that something belongs to or is associated with a male person, animal, or a thing previously mentioned or identifiable as masculine. It modifies the noun that follows it.
Synonyms: male's, of him, belonging to him
Antonyms: her, their, our, your, my
Examples of Use
Books:
"Mr. Darcy soon afterwards joined them, and again began judging instantly, and haughtily surveying his partners." (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice)
"He closed his eyes and saw the long white road and the black trees." (Cormac McCarthy, The Road)
"The boy who lived had to face his destiny once more." (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Newspapers:
"The President delivered his annual address to the nation, outlining his policy priorities for the coming year." (The New York Times, example headline)
"A local artist unveiled his latest sculpture at the community park yesterday, drawing praise for his innovative technique." (Daily Nation, example news article)
"The CEO announced his retirement after 20 years at the helm, citing his desire to spend more time with family." (The Wall Street Journal, example business report)
Online Publications:
"Elon Musk shared his thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence in a recent interview." (TechCrunch, example online article)
"The chef posted his recipe for homemade pasta, complete with step-by-step photos." (Food52, example blog post)
"A software developer showcased his new open-source project on GitHub, inviting contributions from the community." (Medium.com, example tech blog)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Luke, I am your father." (Darth Vader's iconic line, though using "your" here, the possessive "his" is often used in describing Vader's actions: "Darth Vader used his lightsaber to strike down Obi-Wan Kenobi.") (Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back)
Television Series: "He's always got his own way of doing things, even if it drives us crazy." (Fictional dialogue from a sitcom)
Music/Song Lyrics: "He took his time and he took his chances." (Lyrics from a popular song, example)
Video Games: "The player must guide the hero through dangerous lands to reclaim his lost artifact." (Description from a game's plot summary)
Podcasts: "The host shared his personal experience with entrepreneurship on this week's episode." (Description of a podcast segment)
General Public Discourse:
"Did you see what he did with his hair? It looks great!" (Casual conversation)
"He always brings his dog to the park, and they play fetch for hours." (Everyday discussion)
"The teacher praised the student for his excellent presentation." (Formal or informal feedback)
"He's very passionate about his work." (Describing someone's dedication)
10 Famous Quotes Using His
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" (Robert Browning, Andrea del Sarto)
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke, often attributed as "for good men to do his nothing")
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, often paraphrased to include "A man should be his own person...")
"Every man dies. Not every man really lives." (William Wallace, from the film Braveheart, though the quote uses "every man" instead of a singular "he," it implies "every man lives his life")
"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." (Mark Twain)
"He who has a 'why' to live for can bear almost any 'how'." (Friedrich Nietzsche, implying a person endures for "his" reason)
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, while not "his," it is a direct parallel to the possessive pronoun concept in a famous quote context.)
"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does." (Jean-Paul Sartre, implying "he is responsible for his actions")
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." (Mahatma Gandhi, implying one finds "his" true self)
"The unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates, often interpreted as a man reflecting on "his" own life)
Etymology
The word "his" has a pretty ancient history in the English language, going back well before the 12th century, into what's called the Old English period.
Think of it this way: "his" essentially comes from the older version of "he." In Old English, "he" (or "hē") had different forms depending on its job in a sentence, much like Latin or German. The form that showed "belonging to him" was "his." So, it was already a possessive form from way back then.
Interestingly, "his" was also used for "its" (meaning belonging to "it") in Old English. So, if you were talking about a tree and its leaves, you might have said "the tree and his leaves." This usage eventually faded out around the 1600s, replaced by "its."
So, in simple terms:
Origin: "His" comes directly from Old English, where it was the "possessive" form of "he."
First Known Use & Meaning: It was used to mean "belonging to him" (a male person or thing) from the earliest records of Old English. It also used to mean "belonging to it" for non-gendered things, but that meaning is no longer used.
Phrases + Idioms Containing His
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "his," along with some supplementary examples:
His own worst enemy: Someone who causes most of their own problems.
To each his own: Everyone is entitled to their own preferences.
In his right mind: Sane or rational.
His bark is worse than his bite: Someone who sounds threatening but isn't truly harmful.
His days are numbered: He does not have much longer to live or remain in a particular situation.
His word is his bond: He is a trustworthy person who keeps promises.
To have his cake and eat it too: To want or have two good things that are impossible to have at the same time.
His head is in the clouds: He is daydreaming or impractical.
To pull his weight: To do his fair share of work.
To sing his praises: To speak highly of him.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of his from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
