U.S’ is the singular possessive form for the abbreviation U.S. There is only one country named the United States so there is no plural possessive for the U.S. So It would be wrong to write U.S’s. Although rarely used, U.S.’s is also grammatically correct. It follows the rule for forming the possessive of singular nouns and abbreviations ending in s.
The possessive forms of abbreviations are formed exactly the same way you would write for the full names. Let’s look at chart below:
| Form | Example |
| Singular | U.S. |
| Singular possessive | U.S.’/ U.S.’s |
.
U.S.’
U.S.’ is the more popular of the two possessive forms. Use this U.S.’ when you are referring to something that belongs to the U.S. This form is also endorsed by the Associated press stylebook. It treats “U.S.” as a unit rather than individual letters, simplifying the possessive form.
- “The U.S.’ response to the crisis was swift.”
- The U.S.’ commitment to human rights is evident in its policies.
- U.S.’ trade policies impact the global economy.
U.S.’s
This is the grammatically correct option following the rule for forming the possessive of singular nouns and abbreviations ending in s.
For example, “The U.S.’s influence on global trade is undeniable.”
If you’re unsure, “United States'” is always a clear option. Which brings to the next section.
United States’s or United States’?
United states’ is the singular possessive form for the term United States. It follows the rules on forming possessives for singular and plural nouns ending with S. Use it When you are referring to something that browns to the United states.
United states’s
On the other hand, since we consider The United States as a singular noun, we would also say that The United States is just a singular noun that happens to end in S, and therefore the possessive form The United States’s is also grammatically correct.
Even though this is technically correct, the best option to use between the two is The United States’ because that is acceptable for both singular and plural nouns.
United states’
The United States’ is the standard possessive form for the term United States. And this is why
- Plural possessives: When forming the possessive of a plural noun ending in “s,” we only add an apostrophe, like “countries'” or “teachers'”.
- Treating “States” as plural: Though “United States” functions as a singular entity, internally it represents multiple states. Therefore, the possessive follows the rules for plural nouns.
While you might come across “United states’s” in casual writing, stick with “United states'” for clear and accurate writing.
Here are some examples of correct usage:
- “The United States’ diverse cultures attract tourists from all over the world.”
- “The government is working to improve the United states’ infrastructure.”
- “Let’s celebrate the United states’ achievements on this special day.”