Word.ws English Dictionary

it is what it is

it is what it is phrase: that's life; expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint.

Phrase

it is what it is

  1. (idiomatic) That's life; expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint
    • Unfortunately the insurance doesn't cover that. Sorry, but it is what it is.
    • I shall not criticize the Treaty of Versailles. It is a fact. It is what it is.1926 March 8, “La Semaine du Parlement”, in Time
  2. (broadly) Let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest.
    1. (broadly, sometimes) Who cares?; I don't care.
      • But more important, while I am aware that "it is what it is" can be used in the "que sera sera" way, I do not agree that my interpretation of it is therefore incorrect. Rather, it is an example of how common it is in language for words and expressions to have more than one meaning, despite the fact...2023 September 12, John McWhorter, “What Is 'It Is What It Is'?”, in New York Times, retrieved 13 Sep 2023
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see it, is, what, it, is. This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself.
    • That every thing has a real constitution, whereby it is what it is, and on which its sensible qualities depend, is past doubt.1690, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

it is what it is meaning in Persian and Vietnamese

it is what it is in Persian

3. this thing has its own nature
همین است که هست hamin ast ke hast

it is what it is in Vietnamese

3. this thing has its own nature
đành vậy thôi

Examples of it is what it is in a sentence

  • I would prefer to start further up than where I am, but it is what it is and we'll just go out there and get to work.2005 November 20, Viv Bernstein, “Stewart Poised to Head Onto Road Less Traveled”, in New York Times, retrieved 24 Jul 2008:
  • But more important, while I am aware that "it is what it is" can be used in the "que sera sera" way, I do not agree that my interpretation of it is therefore incorrect.2023 September 12, John McWhorter, “What Is 'It Is What It Is'?”, in New York Times, retrieved 13 Sep 2023:

Synonyms of it is what it is

9 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Questions about it is what it is

What does it is what it is mean?
It is what it is means that's life; expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint.
What is it is what it is in Persian?
It is what it is in Persian is همین است که هست (hamin ast ke hast). See It is what it is meaning in Persian.
How do you use it is what it is in a sentence?
I would prefer to start further up than where I am, but it is what it is and we'll just go out there and get to work.
What part of speech is it is what it is?
It is what it is is a phrase.

Words near it is what it is in the dictionary

  1. it is not funny
  2. it is not just you
  3. it is not the whistle that pulls the train
  4. it is said
  5. it is to laugh
  6. it is what it is
  7. it isn't even funny
  8. it isn't funny
  9. it isn't over 'til the fat lady sings
  10. it isn't over till the fat lady sings
  11. it isn't over until the fat lady sings

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: it is what it is (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-it is what it is.ogg.

Cite this entry: “it is what it is.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/it_is_what_it_is. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.