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His or her vs. Their

His or her

/hɪz ɔːr hɜːr/

A phrase used to indicate possession or relation involving both genders when the precise gender is unknown or unspecified.

Examples:

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Their

/ðer/

Belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified

Examples:

Their cat is fat.He awoke refreshed, and they continued their journey.I shall never forget the kind way their hands explored me.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

This word has no antonyms

Ways to tell them apart:

His or her is singular and is used when referring to a single person's possession or something related to a single person.
Their is generally plural and is used when referring to multiple people. However, their can also be singular if the person's gender is unknown or non-binary.
Remember, his or her tends to be more formal or cumbersome and is used less frequently in modern usage.
If you know the gender, use his or her; if the gender is unknown, their is more inclusive and commonly accepted.
Consider the context: if the sentence can apply to more than one person easily, or if the persons gender is not specified or binary, their' may fit better.

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