themselves
Americanpronoun
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a reflexive form of plural they used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
They washed themselves quickly. The painters gave themselves a week to finish the work. The noisy passengers drew attention to themselves.
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an emphatic form of them or they.
The authors themselves left the theater. The contract was written by the partners themselves.
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a reflexive form of singular they used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
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(used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
No one who ignores the law can call themselves a good citizen.
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(used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
I want to help my friend who is harming themselves.
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(used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
Ash introduced themselves to the job recruiter.
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(used in place of they or them after as, than, orbut ).
no soldiers braver than themselves; As for the entertainers, everyone got paid but themselves.
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their usual, normal, characteristic selves.
After a hot meal and a few hours' rest, they were themselves again.
pronoun
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the reflexive form of they or them
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(intensifier)
the team themselves voted on it
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(preceded by a copula) their normal or usual selves
they don't seem themselves any more
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Also: themself. not_standard a reflexive form of an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody
everyone has to look after themselves
Usage
Etymology
Origin of themselves
First recorded in 1300–50; them + selves; replacing themself, Middle English thamself; self
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“So many people who came here want to feel themselves useful, to retain a connection to Ukraine,” she said.
"Right now, I need to wait and see how that pressure translates into concrete movement, while also gathering fresh information from the region and observing how the different key players are repositioning themselves," he explained.
From BBC
Seoul's spy agency had earlier said she has an older brother, but they have since distanced themselves from the assessment.
From BBC
Fulham themselves will point to a goal they conceded against Manchester United at the start of the season.
From BBC
They moved to the UAE expecting a non-stop VIP experience, but instead Dubai's influencers found themselves under a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
