What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Either vs It - What's the difference?

either | it |

As pronouns the difference between either and it

is that either is both, each of two or more while it is the third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, to an inanimate thing with no or unknown sex or gender.

As a determiner either

is each of two.

As an adverb either

is as well.

As a conjunction either

is introduces the first of two options, the second of which is introduced by "or".

As a noun it is

one who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being.

As an adjective it is

most fashionable.

As an abbreviation it is

language Italian.

As an initialism IT is

initialism of information technology|lang=en.

either

English

Usage notes

In the UK the first pronunciation is generally used more in southern England, while the latter is more usual in northern England. However, this is an oversimplification, and the pronunciation used varies by individual speaker and sometimes by situation. The second pronunciation is the most common in the United States.

Determiner

(en determiner)
  • Each of two.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
    • His flowing hair / In curls on either cheek played.
  • * 1936 , (Djuna Barnes), (Nightwood) , Faber & Faber 2007, page 31:
    • Her hands, long and beautiful, lay on either side of her face.
  • One or the other of two.
  • * {{quote-news, passage=You can't be a table and a chair. You're either a Jew or a gentile.
    • , quotee=(Jackie Mason), year=2006, date=December 5, work=USA Today , title= Mason drops lawsuit vs. Jews for Jesus}}
  • (coordinating)
  • * {{quote-book, year=1893, author=(Walter Besant), title= The Ivory Gate, chapter=Prologue
    • , passage=Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language

    Synonyms

    * (one or the other) * (each of two) both, each

    Pronoun

    (English Pronouns)
  • (obsolete) Both, each of two or more.
  • * , Bk.VII:
    • Than ayther departed to theire tentis and made hem redy to horsebacke as they thought beste.
  • * (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
    • Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of the three.
  • * , III.i:
    • And either vowd with all their power and wit, / To let not others honour be defaste.
  • * (1809-1894)
    • There have been three talkers in Great British, either of whom would illustrate what I say about dogmatists.
  • One or other of two people or things.
  • * 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Danny Welbeck leads England's rout of Moldova but hit by Ukraine ban , The Guardian, 6 September:
    • Hodgson may now have to bring in James Milner on the left and, on that basis, a certain amount of gloss was taken off a night on which Welbeck scored twice but barely celebrated either before leaving the pitch angrily complaining to the Slovakian referee.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • As well.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
    • , passage=But Richmond

    Usage notes

    either is sometimes used, especially in North American English, where neither would be more traditionally accurate: "I'm not hungry." "Me either."

    Synonyms

    * neither * too

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • Introduces the first of two options, the second of which is introduced by "or".
    • Either you eat your dinner or you go to your room.

    Usage notes

    * When there are more than two alternatives, "any" is used instead.

    See also

    * neither * nor * or

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English conjunctive adverbs English indefinite pronouns English third person pronouns English words not following the I before E except after C rule 1000 English basic words

    it

    English

    (wikipedia it)

    Alternative forms

    * (dialectal) (l)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), (m) ( > English dialectal . More at (l).

    Alternative forms

    * itt (obsolete)

    Pronoun

  • The third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, to an inanimate thing with no or unknown sex or gender.
    • Put it over there.
    Take each day as it comes.
  • A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a child of unknown gender.
    • She took the baby and held it in her arms.
  • * 1847 , Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre , Chapter IV:
    • A child cannot quarrel with its' elders, as I had done; cannot give ' its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction.
  • Used to refer to oneself when identifying oneself, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation.
    • It' s me. John.
  • The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement. (known as the dummy pronoun or weather it)
    • It is nearly 10 o’clock.
    It ’s very cold today.
    It ’s lonely without you.
  • The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object. (known as the dummy pronoun or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive)
    • It is easy to see how she would think that.
    I find it odd that you would say that.
    He saw to it that everyone would vote for him.
  • All or the end; something after which there is no more.
    • Are there more students in this class, or is this it ?
    That's it —I'm not going to any more candy stores with you.
  • (obsolete, relative) That which; what.
  • * 1643 , (Thomas Browne), Religio Medici , II.2:
    • In briefe, I am content, and what should providence add more? Surely this is it wee call Happinesse, and this doe I enjoy [...].
    : See for other personal pronouns.
    Quotations
    * (English Citations of "it")
    Derived terms
    (Derived terms) * buy it * do it * for it * move it * that’s it * watch it
    See also
    * he * her * him * I * me * she * thee * them * they * thou * us * we * ye * you

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being.
  • * 1995 , Neil Weiner, Sharon E. Robinson Kurpius, Shattered innocence (page 8)
    • Too often, children become an "it " in their homes and their humanness is devalued.
  • * 1920 , (Herman Cyril McNeile), Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
    • His master glanced up quickly, and removed the letter from his hands. "I'm surprised at you, James," he remarked severely. "A secretary should control itself. Don't forget that the perfect secretary is an it : an automatic machine—a thing incapable of feeling.…"
  • The person who chases and tries to catch the other players in the playground game of tag.
    • In the next game, Adam and Tom will be it …
  • * 2000 , Katherine T. Thomas, Amelia M. Lee, Jerry R. Thomas, Physical education for children (page 464)
    • When there are only two children left who haven't been tagged, I will stop the game, and we will start over with those children starting as the Its .
  • (British, uncountable) The game of tag.
    • Let's play it at breaktime.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (colloquial) most fashionable.
  • * Vibe , Vol. 15, No. 9, p. 202, September 2007:
    • Going away for the weekend and feel the need to profile en route? This is the "it " bag.
  • * David Germain, Hilarious ‘Kick-Ass’ delivers bloody fun , Associated Press, 2010:
    • With Hit Girl, Moretz is this year's It Girl, alternately sweet, savage and scary.

    Etymology 2

    Abbreviation

    (Abbreviation) (head)
  • (language) Italian.
  • Italy.
    • Derived terms
    * gin and it, gin-and-It
    See also
    * IT

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * 100 English basic words 1000 English basic words English personal pronouns English third person pronouns English two-letter words ----