Yours

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /jɔː(ɹ)z/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)z
• US enPR: yôrz, IPA: /jɔːɹz/, /jÉšz/, /jɝːz/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)z
• Homophones: yaws in non-rhotic accents

Origin

From Middle English youres, ȝoures, equivalent to your + -'s.

Full definition of yours

Pronoun

1. That which belongs to you (singular); the possessive second-person singular pronoun used without a following noun.If this edit is mine, the other must be yours.Their encyclopedia is good, but yours is even better.It’s all yours.
2. That which belongs to you (plural); the possessive second-person plural pronoun used without a following noun.
3. Written at the end of a letter, before the signature.Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Yours, Sincerely yours

Usage notes

In British English the adverb almost invariably follows the word yours at the end of a letter; in most dialects of American English it usually precedes it. As a general rule, sincerely is only employed if the name of the recipient is already known to the writer; a letter begun with Dear Sir or Dear Madam finishes with faithfully. Yours on its own and yours ever are less formal than the other forms.

Derived terms

• up yours
• what's yours
• yours truly
• you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours