Dictionary of English - they/their/theirs

They is the third person plural pronoun, which means that it refers to more than one person. In the second half of the 20th century, however, it has become increasingly common to use it as an indefinite pronoun which could refer to just one person.

There is a range of indefinite words in English – anybody, anyone; everybody, everyone; nobody, no one; somebody, someone; either, neither, each – which traditionally have been used with the masculine singular pronoun: If anyone finds my glasses, could he let me know? In this role, the masculine pronoun notionally has an indefinite function, covering women as well as men.

However, it has come more and more to be seen as invidious to use a masculine pronoun to refer to women, and users of the language have been seeking an alternative. He or she, and she or he, are cumbersome, especially if they need to be repeated several times, and anyway they give precedence to males or females. Increasingly they, together with its possessive forms their and theirs, is becoming the preferred option: If anyone finds my glasses, could they let me know?

It is not yet completely established in standard English, and some people still object to it, but its usefulness is widely recognized, and it seems likely that in due course it will become generally accepted.

Remember that the third person plural possessive adjective is their: They've sold their house. Don't confuse it with the adverb there, 'in that place' or with they're, which is the shortened form of 'they are'.

The third person plural possessive pronoun is theirs (not their's): If this is theirs, they'd better take it.

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