"it is what it is" meaning in English

See it is what it is in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Phrase

Audio: En-au-it is what it is.ogg [Australia]
Head templates: {{head|en|phrase}} it is what it is
  1. (literally, sometimes philosophical) This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself. Tags: literally Related terms (this thing has its own distinct nature): sui generis Translations (this thing has its own nature): 這就是事實 (Chinese Mandarin), 这就是事实 (zhè jiù shì shìshí) (Chinese Mandarin), det er hvad det er (Danish), het is wat het is (Dutch), se on, mitä on (Finnish), c’est comme ça (French), είναι ό,τι είναι (eínai ó,ti eínai) (Greek), vada come vada (Italian), 仕方がない (shikata ga nai) (Japanese), そういうもの (sou iu mono) (Japanese), dat is, wat dat is [German-Low-German] (Low German), همین است که هست (hamin ast ke hast) (Persian), jest jak jest (Polish), a vida é assim (Portuguese), что есть (Russian), то есть (Russian), así es la vida (Spanish), es lo que hay (Spanish), det är vad det är (Swedish), đành vậy thôi (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-it_is_what_it_is-en-phrase-en:it_has_its_own_distinct_nature Categories (other): English proverbs Disambiguation of English proverbs: 14 26 30 30 Disambiguation of 'this thing has its own distinct nature': 93 2 2 2 Disambiguation of 'this thing has its own nature': 90 3 4 4
  2. (idiomatic) Synonym of that's life: A phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint; Thus meaning: this circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: that's life [synonym, synonym-of] Synonyms (This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted): that's life Translations (phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances): niin se vain on (Finnish), näin se vain on (Finnish), sellaista se vain on (Finnish), niin se vain menee (Finnish), ez van (Hungarian), es lo que hay (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-it_is_what_it_is-en-phrase-en:that_s_life Categories (other): English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English proverbs, English reduplications, English sentences, English tautophrases, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 3 58 20 20 Disambiguation of English proverbs: 14 26 30 30 Disambiguation of English reduplications: 8 39 27 27 Disambiguation of English sentences: 7 63 15 15 Disambiguation of English tautophrases: 8 39 27 27 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 4 39 27 30 Disambiguation of 'This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted': 1 71 14 14 Disambiguation of 'phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances': 1 87 6 6
  3. (by extension) Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see "Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest. Tags: broadly Synonyms: let it be [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-it_is_what_it_is-en-phrase-en:let_it_be Categories (other): English proverbs Disambiguation of English proverbs: 14 26 30 30
  4. (by extension) Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see "Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest.
    (by extension, sometimes) Synonym of who cares or synonym of I don't care
    Tags: broadly, sometimes Synonyms: who cares or synonym of I don't care [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-it_is_what_it_is-en-phrase-en:let_it_be1 Categories (other): English proverbs Disambiguation of English proverbs: 14 26 30 30
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: que sera sera, shit happens, for more see Thesaurus:that's life Related terms (let it be): stoicism, tao, zen, forget it, what can you do
Disambiguation of 'let it be': 1 5 47 47

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for it is what it is meaning in English (12.6kB)

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          "word": "這就是事實"
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          "_dis1": "90 3 4 4",
          "code": "ja",
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          "roman": "sou iu mono",
          "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
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          "_dis1": "90 3 4 4",
          "code": "nds-de",
          "lang": "Low German",
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          "tags": [
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          "word": "dat is, wat dat is"
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        {
          "_dis1": "90 3 4 4",
          "code": "fa",
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          "roman": "hamin ast ke hast",
          "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
          "word": "همین است که هست"
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          "_dis1": "90 3 4 4",
          "code": "pl",
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          "word": "jest jak jest"
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          "code": "pt",
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          "word": "a vida é assim"
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          "code": "ru",
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          "word": "что есть"
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          "word": "det är vad det är"
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          "text": "I shall not criticize the Treaty of Versailles. It is a fact. It is what it is.",
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        "(by extension) Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see \"Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference\"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest."
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          "ref": "2023 September 12, John McWhorter, “What Is 'It Is What It Is'?”, in New York Times, retrieved 2023-09-13",
          "text": "But more important, while I am aware that \"it is what it is\" can be used in the \"que sera sera\" way, I do not agree that my interpretation of it is therefore incorrect. Rather, it is an example of how common it is in language for words and expressions to have more than one meaning, despite the fact that we rarely notice it. […] Regarding my troubles, he detachedly intoned, \"Well, it is what it is.\" […] I recounted thinking: What a gorgeously chilly way of saying \"Your problems don't matter to me.\" He was not using the phrase's other, \"que sera sera\" meaning, counseling me to accept how things unfold in a Zen-like way. / Those who think of the Zen version of \"it is what it is\" aren't wrong, however: It is often used that way when referring to oneself, for example. But those who agree with me that the expression can be dismissive are also correct in thinking of dismissive exchanges such as my own. \"It is what it is\" has two meanings. / The issue here is language change. The expression \"it is what it is\" began as counsel about coping. However, an implication floats over the proactive, constructive intent of the phrase: its element of distance, coolness, indifference. Implications like this can take over the word or expression's meaning and create either a new meaning or at least an alternative, 2.0 version.",
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        "Synonym of who cares or synonym of I don't care"
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of that's life: A phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint; Thus meaning: this circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "that's life",
          "that's life#English"
        ],
        [
          "circumstance",
          "circumstance"
        ],
        [
          "fact",
          "fact"
        ],
        [
          "accept",
          "accept"
        ],
        [
          "dealt with",
          "deal with"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Synonym of that's life: A phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint; Thus meaning: this circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:that's life"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "A phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint; Thus meaning: this circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "that's life"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see \"Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference\"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "let it be",
          "let it be#English"
        ],
        [
          "concern",
          "concern"
        ],
        [
          "constraint",
          "constraint"
        ],
        [
          "problem",
          "problem"
        ],
        [
          "let it be",
          "let it be"
        ],
        [
          "accept",
          "accept"
        ],
        [
          "fact",
          "fact"
        ],
        [
          "rest",
          "rest"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see \"Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference\"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:let it be"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see \"Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference\"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "let it be"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2023 September 12, John McWhorter, “What Is 'It Is What It Is'?”, in New York Times, retrieved 2023-09-13",
          "text": "But more important, while I am aware that \"it is what it is\" can be used in the \"que sera sera\" way, I do not agree that my interpretation of it is therefore incorrect. Rather, it is an example of how common it is in language for words and expressions to have more than one meaning, despite the fact that we rarely notice it. […] Regarding my troubles, he detachedly intoned, \"Well, it is what it is.\" […] I recounted thinking: What a gorgeously chilly way of saying \"Your problems don't matter to me.\" He was not using the phrase's other, \"que sera sera\" meaning, counseling me to accept how things unfold in a Zen-like way. / Those who think of the Zen version of \"it is what it is\" aren't wrong, however: It is often used that way when referring to oneself, for example. But those who agree with me that the expression can be dismissive are also correct in thinking of dismissive exchanges such as my own. \"It is what it is\" has two meanings. / The issue here is language change. The expression \"it is what it is\" began as counsel about coping. However, an implication floats over the proactive, constructive intent of the phrase: its element of distance, coolness, indifference. Implications like this can take over the word or expression's meaning and create either a new meaning or at least an alternative, 2.0 version.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see \"Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference\"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest.",
        "Synonym of who cares or synonym of I don't care"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "let it be",
          "let it be#English"
        ],
        [
          "concern",
          "concern"
        ],
        [
          "constraint",
          "constraint"
        ],
        [
          "problem",
          "problem"
        ],
        [
          "let it be",
          "let it be"
        ],
        [
          "accept",
          "accept"
        ],
        [
          "fact",
          "fact"
        ],
        [
          "rest",
          "rest"
        ],
        [
          "who cares",
          "who cares#English"
        ],
        [
          "I don't care",
          "I don't care#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) Synonym of let it be: that is, because this concern is a constraint rather than a problem that can be solved (see \"Lord grant us the wisdom to know the difference\"), further analysis and discussion of it is unproductive, so let it be; accept the fact and let the matter rest.",
        "(by extension, sometimes) Synonym of who cares or synonym of I don't care"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:let it be",
        "en:I don't care"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "who cares or synonym of I don't care"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "sometimes"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-it is what it is.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/de/En-au-it_is_what_it_is.ogg/En-au-it_is_what_it_is.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/En-au-it_is_what_it_is.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted",
      "word": "that's life"
    },
    {
      "word": "que sera sera"
    },
    {
      "word": "shit happens"
    },
    {
      "word": "for more see Thesaurus:that's life"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "這就是事實"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhè jiù shì shìshí",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "这就是事实"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "det er hvad det er"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "het is wat het is"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "se on, mitä on"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "c’est comme ça"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "eínai ó,ti eínai",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "είναι ό,τι είναι"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "vada come vada"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "shikata ga nai",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "仕方がない"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "sou iu mono",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "そういうもの"
    },
    {
      "code": "nds-de",
      "lang": "Low German",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "tags": [
        "German-Low-German"
      ],
      "word": "dat is, wat dat is"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "roman": "hamin ast ke hast",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "همین است که هست"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "jest jak jest"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "a vida é assim"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "что есть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "то есть"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "así es la vida"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "es lo que hay"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "det är vad det är"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "this thing has its own nature",
      "word": "đành vậy thôi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances",
      "word": "niin se vain on"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances",
      "word": "näin se vain on"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances",
      "word": "sellaista se vain on"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances",
      "word": "niin se vain menee"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances",
      "word": "ez van"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances",
      "word": "es lo que hay"
    }
  ],
  "word": "it is what it is"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.