Both Thursdays and Thursday’s are correct, but they perform different grammatical jobs. Thursdays is the plural of Thursday and can also mean every Thursday or on Thursdays. Thursday’s, with an apostrophe, usually shows possession or forms a contraction of Thursday is or Thursday has.
For example, “We work late on Thursdays” describes a recurring schedule. In contrast, “Thursday’s meeting starts at 10” refers to a meeting associated with one Thursday.
The apostrophe may look like a tiny difference, but it changes the grammar. You should never add an apostrophe simply because Thursday becomes plural.
Once you know whether you mean multiple Thursdays, possession, or a contraction, choosing the correct form becomes simple.
Quick Answer
Use Thursdays for more than one Thursday or something that happens every Thursday:
- We have class on Thursdays.
- The store stays open late Thursdays.
Use Thursday’s when something belongs or relates to one Thursday:
- Thursday’s meeting was canceled.
- Thursday’s weather looks perfect.
Thursday’s can also mean Thursday is or Thursday has:
- Thursday’s the deadline. = Thursday is the deadline.
- Thursday’s been a busy day. = Thursday has been a busy day.
Is It Tuesdays or Tuesday’s?
Tuesdays is the plural form and refers to more than one Tuesday, as in We meet on Tuesdays. Tuesday’s is the possessive form and shows that something belongs to Tuesday, as in Tuesday’s meeting was canceled. Use Tuesdays when talking about multiple Tuesdays and Tuesday’s only to show possession.
What Is the Plural Form of Thursday?
The plural of Thursday is Thursdays. Add -s when referring to more than one Thursday. For example, The class is held on Thursdays. Use Thursday’s only when showing possession, such as Thursday’s schedule.
What Are Thursdays Called?
A Thursday is simply the fifth day of the week in most modern calendars. The name Thursday comes from Thor, the Norse god of thunder, meaning “Thor’s day.” Today, it is commonly used as the name of the weekday between Wednesday and Friday.
Why People Confuse Them
The confusion comes from the apostrophe.
English writers sometimes mistakenly use apostrophes whenever they see a word ending in s. But an apostrophe does not normally make a noun plural.
The plural is simply:
Thursday → Thursdays
Possession requires an apostrophe:
Thursday → Thursday’s
Compare:
- I work Thursdays.
- Thursday’s schedule is full.
The first sentence describes a recurring day. The second describes the schedule associated with one Thursday.
Another source of confusion is that Thursday’s can represent a contraction. The apostrophe may replace letters from is or has, giving the form more than one correct use.
Key Differences At A Glance
| Feature | Thursdays | Thursday’s |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Meaning | More than one Thursday or every Thursday | Belonging to Thursday |
| Apostrophe | No | Yes |
| Plural | Yes | No |
| Possessive | No | Yes |
| Can Mean “Thursday Is” | No | Yes |
| Can Mean “Thursday Has” | No | Yes |
| Example | We meet on Thursdays | Thursday’s meeting starts at 9 |
The easiest distinction is:
- Thursdays = multiple or recurring Thursdays
- Thursday’s = possession, Thursday is, or Thursday has
Meaning And Usage Difference
What Does Thursdays Mean?
Thursdays is the plural form of Thursday.
Use it when you are talking about multiple Thursdays:
- The next three Thursdays are already booked.
- Thursdays are usually busy at the restaurant.
- We spent several Thursdays preparing for the event.
It also commonly describes something that happens regularly on that day:
- I work from home on Thursdays.
- The gym closes early Thursdays.
- We have team meetings every Thursday.
In sentences such as “I work Thursdays,” Thursdays functions adverbially and means on Thursdays or every Thursday.
What Does Thursday’s Mean?
Thursday’s commonly serves as the singular possessive form of Thursday.
Use it for something connected with one particular Thursday:
- Thursday’s meeting
- Thursday’s schedule
- Thursday’s forecast
- Thursday’s game
- Thursday’s deadline
Examples:
- Thursday’s meeting starts at 2 p.m.
- I checked Thursday’s weather forecast.
- Thursday’s game attracted a large crowd.
The apostrophe shows a relationship between Thursday and the noun that follows it.
When Thursday’s Means Thursday Is
The apostrophe can also create a contraction:
Thursday’s = Thursday is
Examples:
- Thursday’s my busiest day.
- Thursday’s the final day to register.
- Thursday’s going to be hectic.
Expand the contraction to test it:
Thursday is my busiest day.
Because the expanded sentence makes sense, Thursday’s works.
When Thursday’s Means Thursday Has
Less often, Thursday’s can mean Thursday has:
- Thursday’s been a productive day.
- Thursday’s already brought several surprises.
Expand it:
Thursday has been a productive day.
Again, the sentence works.
Thursdays, Thursday’s, And Thursdays’
Three similar-looking forms can appear in English:
- Thursdays = plural or recurring Thursdays
- Thursday’s = singular possessive or a contraction
- Thursdays’ = plural possessive
The third form is grammatically possible but much less common.
For example:
The last three Thursdays’ sales figures were unusually high.
Here, the sales figures relate to multiple Thursdays.
However, this construction can sound awkward. A clearer version often works better:
The sales figures for the last three Thursdays were unusually high.
Do not use Thursdays’ simply to mean every Thursday.
- Incorrect: We practice on Thursdays’.
- Correct: We practice on Thursdays.
Tone, Context, And Formality
Both Thursdays and Thursday’s work naturally in formal and informal American English. The choice depends on grammar, not formality.
Casual:
- Let’s meet on Thursdays.
- Thursday’s good for me.
Professional:
- Our staff meetings take place on Thursdays.
- Thursday’s presentation begins at 9 a.m.
Academic:
- The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Thursday’s lecture covers American literature.
Business:
- Deliveries arrive Thursdays.
- Thursday’s sales report is ready.
You may sometimes choose a noun modifier instead of the possessive:
- Thursday’s meeting
- Thursday meeting
Both can work. Thursday’s meeting emphasizes the meeting associated with that Thursday, while Thursday meeting can describe a regularly identified meeting. Context determines which sounds more natural.
Which One Should You Use?
| Context | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something happens every Thursday | Thursdays | It describes recurring days |
| Talking about several Thursdays | Thursdays | It is the plural |
| A meeting associated with one Thursday | Thursday’s | It shows possession or association |
| A particular Thursday’s schedule | Thursday’s | It relates the schedule to that day |
| Meaning “Thursday is” | Thursday’s | The apostrophe forms a contraction |
| Meaning “Thursday has” | Thursday’s | The apostrophe replaces omitted letters |
| Something associated with several Thursdays | Thursdays’ | It is the plural possessive |
Use a quick test.
If you mean more than one Thursday or every Thursday, choose Thursdays.
If you mean belonging to Thursday, Thursday is, or Thursday has, choose Thursday’s.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
An apostrophe creates an error when you only need a plural:
- Incorrect: We go shopping on Thursday’s.
- Correct: We go shopping on Thursdays.
- Incorrect: The office closes early on Thursday’s.
- Correct: The office closes early on Thursdays.
- Incorrect: Thursday’s are usually quiet here.
- Correct: Thursdays are usually quiet here.
Removing the apostrophe would be wrong when you need possession:
- Incorrect: Thursdays meeting starts at noon.
- Correct: Thursday’s meeting starts at noon.
The meaning changes because Thursdays without an apostrophe cannot show singular possession.
Compare:
- Thursdays are busy.
Multiple Thursdays are busy. - Thursday’s busy.
Thursday is busy. - Thursday’s schedule is busy.
The schedule for Thursday is busy.
The spelling identifies the grammatical role.
Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes
Mistake: Using An Apostrophe For A Simple Plural
Incorrect:
We have soccer practice on Thursday’s.
Correct:
We have soccer practice on Thursdays.
Plural nouns generally do not need an apostrophe.
Mistake: Removing The Apostrophe From A Possessive
Incorrect:
Thursdays meeting has been canceled.
Correct:
Thursday’s meeting has been canceled.
You are referring to the meeting associated with one Thursday.
Mistake: Confusing Thursday’s With Thursdays’
Singular:
Thursday’s schedule is full.
This refers to one Thursday.
Plural possessive:
The previous Thursdays’ schedules were also full.
This refers to multiple Thursdays.
The second construction is grammatically possible, though “the schedules for the previous Thursdays” may sound clearer.
Mistake: Adding An Apostrophe After Every S
Incorrect:
The restaurant stays open late Thursday’s and Friday’s.
Correct:
The restaurant stays open late Thursdays and Fridays.
Nothing shows possession in the corrected sentence. The words simply describe recurring days.
Mistake: Forgetting Capitalization
Days of the week are proper nouns, so capitalize them:
- Incorrect: thursday
- Incorrect: thursdays
- Correct: Thursday
- Correct: Thursdays
The capitalization remains even when the word is plural or possessive.
Everyday Examples
Examples With Thursdays
- I work from home on Thursdays.
- Thursdays are usually my busiest days.
- The library stays open late Thursdays.
- We have soccer practice every Thursday.
- She takes yoga classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- The restaurant serves its special menu on Thursdays.
- Our team meets Thursdays at 10 a.m.
- The next two Thursdays are already booked.
- He visits his grandparents on Thursdays.
- Thursdays work better for my schedule.
Examples With Thursday’s
- Thursday’s meeting starts at noon.
- I already checked Thursday’s schedule.
- Thursday’s forecast calls for sunshine.
- We need to prepare for Thursday’s presentation.
- Thursday’s game starts at 7 p.m.
- Thursday’s deadline cannot be extended.
- Thursday’s my only free day.
- Thursday’s going to be busy.
- Thursday’s been unusually productive.
- Did you read Thursday’s newspaper?
Compare Them Directly
- Thursdays: We have meetings on Thursdays.
- Thursday’s: Thursday’s meeting starts at 9.
- Thursdays: Thursdays are usually quiet.
- Thursday’s: Thursday’s schedule looks quiet.
- Thursdays: I work Thursdays.
- Thursday’s: Thursday’s my last day at work this week.
Every Thursday vs On Thursdays
Both expressions can describe a recurring activity:
- I exercise every Thursday.
- I exercise on Thursdays.
The meanings are essentially the same in many contexts.
American English also commonly allows:
I exercise Thursdays.
Here, Thursdays means on Thursdays.
Use the singular when discussing one specific day:
- I have an appointment on Thursday.
- I have an appointment this Thursday.
- We met last Thursday.
Use the plural for a repeated pattern:
- I have appointments on Thursdays.
- We normally meet Thursdays.
This distinction helps readers immediately understand whether you mean one occasion or a recurring schedule.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
Thursdays: Not a verb. It is the plural form of the noun Thursday and can also function adverbially to mean on Thursdays.
- She works Thursdays.
Thursday’s: Not itself a verb. However, it can contain a contracted verb:
- Thursday’s busy. = Thursday is busy.
- Thursday’s been exhausting. = Thursday has been exhausting.
Noun
Thursdays: The plural of Thursday, referring to more than one occurrence of the day.
- The next three Thursdays are unavailable.
It can also describe a recurring schedule:
- We meet on Thursdays.
Thursday’s: The possessive form of singular Thursday when followed by something associated with that day:
- Thursday’s appointment
- Thursday’s newspaper
- Thursday’s weather
Synonyms
Days of the week do not have useful exact synonyms.
For Thursdays in a recurring schedule, the closest plain alternatives are:
- every Thursday
- on Thursdays
- each Thursday
For Thursday’s as a possessive, rewriting with on Thursday or for Thursday may work depending on the sentence:
- Thursday’s meeting → the meeting on Thursday
- Thursday’s schedule → the schedule for Thursday
These alternatives express similar relationships but are not interchangeable in every sentence.
Clear antonyms do not apply.
Example Sentences
Thursdays:
- The café offers live music on Thursdays.
- Thursdays tend to fill up quickly.
- I’m available Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- The team practices Thursdays after school.
Thursday’s:
- Thursday’s appointment has been confirmed.
- Thursday’s weather should be warmer.
- Thursday’s the best day for me.
- Thursday’s been surprisingly quiet.
Word History
Thursday has been part of English for many centuries. Its name ultimately connects with Thor, the thunder god in Germanic and Norse tradition.
For the modern comparison, the important point is grammatical rather than historical.
Thursdays follows the normal plural pattern by adding -s to Thursday. Thursday’s follows the normal possessive pattern by adding ’s to a singular noun. The apostrophe can also mark omitted letters in contractions such as Thursday is → Thursday’s.
Phrases Containing
Common forms with Thursdays include:
- on Thursdays
- every Thursday
- Thursday mornings
- Thursday afternoons
- Thursday evenings
- Thursday nights
- Tuesdays and Thursdays
- open Thursdays
- closed Thursdays
- available Thursdays
Common possessive forms include:
- Thursday’s meeting
- Thursday’s schedule
- Thursday’s forecast
- Thursday’s game
- Thursday’s deadline
- Thursday’s newspaper
- Thursday’s appointment
- Thursday’s presentation
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thursdays or Thursday’s correct?
Both are correct. Thursdays means multiple Thursdays or every Thursday. Thursday’s shows possession or contracts Thursday is or Thursday has.
Do I write on Thursdays or on Thursday’s?
Write on Thursdays when describing a recurring event:
We meet on Thursdays.
Do not add an apostrophe for a simple plural.
Is Thursday’s meeting correct?
Yes. Thursday’s meeting means the meeting associated with Thursday. The apostrophe shows a possessive relationship.
What does Thursday’s mean in a sentence?
It can show possession, as in Thursday’s meeting, or mean Thursday is, as in Thursday’s my day off. It can occasionally mean Thursday has, as in Thursday’s been busy.
What does Thursdays’ mean?
Thursdays’ is a plural possessive form referring to something associated with multiple Thursdays. It is grammatically possible but uncommon, and rewriting the sentence often improves clarity.
Should Thursday always be capitalized?
Yes. English capitalizes the names of the days of the week. Write Thursday, Thursdays, and Thursday’s with a capital T.
Conclusion
The difference between Thursdays and Thursday’s comes down to plural meaning, possession, and contractions.
Use Thursdays when you mean multiple Thursdays or something that happens regularly:
We meet on Thursdays.
Use Thursday’s when something relates to one Thursday:
Thursday’s meeting starts at noon.
It can also mean Thursday is or Thursday has:
Thursday’s the deadline.
The simplest memory rule is: no apostrophe for a regular plural; use an apostrophe for possession or missing letters in a contraction.
