is

I1S1
Australia, Canada, UK, US/ɪz/New Zealand/ɘz/India, North/ɪdʒ/India, South/ɪs/

verb

Used in phrases with existential there (also here and where) when the semantic subject is plural.

“He is a doctor.”

Very commonScrabble 2

Meanings

is1

verb

alternative ees · alternative 's · alternative iz

  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of be

    He is a doctor.

    2 more examples

    "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

    1999 January 8, Ken Starr, quoting Bill Clinton, Referral from Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr in Conformity with the Requirements of Title 28, United States Code, Section 595(c) (Starr Report), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, retrieved 14 Feb 2020, page 176

    "It's not two weeks yet," I reminded her, hoping that might somehow cheer her. […] "Tomorrow is two weeks," Ruth said in a distant voice, staring into the flames.

    2012, Robert Moore, Where the Gold is Buried, a legend of Old Fort Niagara, →ISBN, page 137
  2. colloquialUsed in phrases with existential there (also here and where) when the semantic subject is plural.

    There is three of them there.

    1 more example

    Ber. There is five in the firſt ſhew, / Ken. You are deceiued, tis not so.

    c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 141, column 2
  3. dialectalindicativepresentpresent indicative of be; am, are, is.

    Nigga, yeah, you's a bitch

    2022, “Plan B”, performed by Megan Thee Stallion
    5 more examples

    Let the whole world know we's on some off-key tip

    2001, “Witness (1 Hope)”, in Run Come save me, performed by Roots Manuva

    "Them niggas shot my girl, yo! And I ain't gonna sleep until all of them niggas is dead!" RJ hissed.

    2012, Trae Macklin, Flippin' The Hustle

    "Y'all is some disorganized niggahs," Mama Byrd said.

    2013, Tu-Shonda Whitaker, The Ex Factor, page 270

    Who the fuck do you think I is? / You ain't married to no average bitch, boy

    2016, “Don't Hurt Yourself”, in Lemonade, performed by Beyoncé

    Like Jazzie, Stacie, Nicki / All of the Barbies is pretty / All of the Barbies is bad

    2023, “Barbie World”, in Barbie: The Album, performed by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice

is2

pronoun
  1. GeordiealternativeAlternative spelling of us (“me”).

is3

noun
  1. alternativerareAlternative form of i's.

IS4

proper noun

alternative I.S. · alternative I. S.

  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Islamic State.

    Synonyms: Daesh, ISIL, ISIS

  2. abbreviationinitialismlanguagesInitialism of Interior Salish.
noun

alternative I.S. · alternative I. S.

  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of International Sign.
  2. abbreviationinitialismcomputingInitialism of information system(s).
  3. abbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of international studies.
  4. abbreviationinitialismbusinessInitialism of implementation shortfall.

Is5

noun
  1. pluralplural of I
  2. abbreviationAbbreviation of Islands (also Is.)

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar

Origin

is · verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁es-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ésti
  3. Proto-Germanic*isti
  4. Proto-West Germanic*ist
  5. Old Englishis
  6. Middle Englishis
  7. Englishis

From Middle English is, from Old English is, from Proto-West Germanic *ist, from Proto-Germanic *isti (a form of Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti (“is”). Cognate with West Frisian is (“is”), Dutch is (“is”), German ist (“is”), Yiddish איז (iz, “is”), Afrikaans is (“am, are, is”) Old Swedish är, er, Old Norse er, es. Further cognates include, among others, Latin est, Ancient Greek ἐστί (estí), Sanskrit अस्ति (asti), Persian است (ast), Russian есть (jestʹ), all with the same meaning.

Full word history & related roots →

is · pronoun

Alternative pronunciation of us.

Full word history & related roots →

is · noun

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch IS
  • ISIslamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State
French EI
  • EIIslamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State
German IS
  • ISIslamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State
Greek ΙΚ
  • ΙΚ (IK)Islamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State
Polish IS
  • ISIslamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State
Spanish EI
  • EIIslamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State
Swedish IS
  • ISIslamic State, abbreviation — see also Islamic State

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with is

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

is. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/is

MLA

“is.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/is. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “is,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/is.

Source: is on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.