Word.ws English Dictionary

they're

/ðɜː(ɹ)//ðɛə/

they're is the contraction of they.

they're is the misspelling of there.

they're is the misspelling of their.

Meaning of they

Pronoun

they (third-person, nominative case, usually plural, sometimes singular, objective case them, possessive their, possessive noun theirs, reflexive themselves, or reflexive singular themself)

  1. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) A group of entities previously mentioned.
    • Fred and Jane? They just arrived.
  2. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) One whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or both.
    • Somebody requested a seat at Friday's performance but didn't say if they preferred the balcony or the floor. [The gender is unknown and irrelevant.]
  3. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) One who is nonbinary.
    • There is no need to panic. Robin should be here soon and they will know what to do. [Robin is nonbinary and uses singular they.]
  4. (indefinite, nominative, plural, pronoun, singular, sometimes) People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker.
    • They say it’s a good place to live.
  5. (indefinite, nominative, plural, pronoun, singular, sometimes) The authorities, the (power) elites, the powers that be, the establishment, the man, the system: government, police, employers, etc.
    • They'll tax us for the air we breathe next.
  6. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) The opponents of the side which is keeping score.
    Antonyms:
    we

See all 11 meanings of they

Meaning of there

Adverb

there (not comparable)

  1. In or at a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) that is perceived to be away from, or at a relative distance from, the speaker (compare here).
    • I know Bristol quite well as I used to live there.
    1. (figuratively) At that point, stage, etc., visualised as a distinct place.
      • He did not stop there, but continued his speech.
    2. In a notional place where one will provide support or care; see also be there.
      • You know that I will always be there for you.
    3. In existence in some place.
      • I know that aliens are there, somewhere.
    4. (informal) In its correct position, so as to be fully and properly fitted or inserted.
      • If I just push this in here like this, it should .... Ah! Good! It's there!
    5. (informal) After the name of a person perceived as located ‘away’ from the speaker, used familiarly to indicate that person.
      • Jim there has been with the company for twenty years.

See all 22 meanings of there

Phrases with they're

Words that rhyme with they're

7 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about they're

What is they're the contraction of?
They're is the contraction of they.
How do you pronounce they're?
They're is pronounced /ðɛə/ (UK).

Words near they're in the dictionary

  1. they'da
  2. they'l
  3. they'll
  4. they'll do it every time
  5. they'll've
  6. they're
  7. they're only after one thing
  8. they's
  9. they'uns
  10. they've
  11. they-uns

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: they're (page history and authors); they (page history and authors); there (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-gb-they're.ogg, En-us-they're.ogg.

Cite this entry: “they're.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/they%27re. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.