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ourself

American  
[ahr-self, ouuhr-, ou-er-] / ɑrˈsɛlf, aʊər-, ˌaʊ ər- /

pronoun

  1. one's own person, individuality, etc., considered as private and apart from others.

    It is for ourself that we should strive for greater knowledge.

  2. (a form corresponding to ourselves, used of a single person, especially in the regal or formal style, as we forI ).

    We have taken unto ourself such powers as may be necessary.


ourself British  
/ aʊəˈsɛlf /

pronoun

  1. archaic a variant of myself , formerly used by monarchs or editors in formal contexts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

See myself.

Etymology

Origin of ourself

1300–50; Middle English oure self; see our, 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.

In the moment between wakefulness and sleep, we may feel like we are losing ourself to the void of unconsciousness.

From Scientific American • Aug. 26, 2022

"If you ask which one has ever done the best as far as giving these, we're both going to say it's ourself, right?"

From Fox News • Dec. 25, 2021

“If you ask which one has ever done the best as far as giving these, we’re both going to say it’s ourself, right?”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 24, 2021

“We know vaccinations are the most effective tool to both blunting the spread of the virus and to protecting ourself and our families,” she said.

From Washington Times • Nov. 17, 2021

The lady who had showed us into Tuttle’s office had said to help ourself, but Ma and me didn’t want none.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

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