Denis’ is the singular possessive of the name Denis, which you should use when following AP Style. For example, “Mr. Denis’ car is parked outside.” On the other hand, Denis’s is the version to use according to the Chicago Manual of Style. For instance, “Mrs. Denis’s cat is sleeping on the sofa.”

The following chart provides a helpful overview of the different forms of the name

Form	Example
Singular	Denis
Plural	Denises
Singular possessive	Denis’ / Denis’s
Plural possessive	Denises’

There are two forms of the possessive that you can use to refer to one member of a Denis family. Also, if you are referring to more than one member, you can use the term Denises.

Here are some examples of the different forms in context :

Singular: Denis has been promoted to manager.

Plural: The Denises from apartment 12 are moving out next week.

Singular possessive: Denis’ phone is ringing.

Singular possessive: We are going to visit Denis’s parents this weekend.

Plural possessive: The storm damaged the Denises’ garden last night.

As you can see, when referring to something owned by one person you can use Denis’ or Denis’s unless you are following a specific style guide. However, make sure that you are consistent with the version you use.

Keep reading the rest of the article to learn more about using the possessive and plural forms of the name Denis. We’ll also show you many example sentences to make these rules easy to understand.

Denis’s

The word Denis’s is the singular possessive form of the name Denis.

It is the more common form in both the US and the UK. Moreover, it is the form you should use when following the Chicago Manual of Style.

You can use the singular possessive to refer to things that a person named Denis owns.

Here are some examples:

Denis’s bicycle was stolen yesterday.
Denis’s favorite book is “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Denis’s dog is named Max.
Do you have a copy of Denis’s report?
I visited Professor Denis’s office to discuss my grades.
Denis’s garden is full of beautiful flowers.

Also, Denis can also be a Last name. Therefore, here are some examples of Denis’s being used as the singular possessive for a person whose last name is Denis:

Jennifer Denis’s handwriting is very neat.
Lucy Denis’s latest project received rave reviews.
Everyone loves Jessica Denis’s sense of humor; he’s always cracking jokes.
Annie Denis’s presentation at the conference was well-received.

Furthermore, when the following word begins with “s,” some people drop the “s” from Denis’s:

Mr. Denis’ secretary prepared all necessary documents before the presentation.
I met Denis’ security guard at the party last night.
Rachel Denis’ sincere apology for coming late was accepted..
Have you tried Denis’ sandwich recipe? It’s delicious.

However, if you do this, you must be consistent and do it throughout the text.

That means you need to use Denis’ no matter if the word following starts with an “s” or not. You cannot mix between Denis’ and Denis’s in a text.

Now, let’s have a closer look at the variation Denis’.

Denis’

The term Denis’ is a singular possessive form of the name Denis. Therefore, you use it when you want to say that things belong to one person with the name Denis.

Denis’ laptop is always on his desk.
Mrs. Denis’ garden is blooming beautifully.
Denis’ artwork is displayed in the gallery downtown.
We borrowed Denis’ car for the road trip.
Denis’ room is decorated in blue and white.
Denis’ jacket was left behind after the party.

Furthermore, you should use Denis’ if you are writing a text that follows AP Style.

You should also note that Denis can also be a last name. Therefore, you can also use Denis’ to refer to something owned by person whose last name is Denis aHere are some examples:

Sophie Denis’ presentation was the highlight of the conference.
I heard James Denis’ speech on leadership; it was very inspiring.
Have you tried Cathy Denis’ homemade salsa? It’s amazing.
We’re going to Bridget Denis’ party this weekend; are you coming?
Laurel Denis’ cat is very friendly; it always greets me at the door.

Remember that both Denis’ and Denis’s are correct possessives for the first name or surname Denis. You can choose which version you want to use if you don’t follow a certain style guide.