them
Americanpronoun
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the objective case of plural they, used as a direct or indirect object.
We saw them yesterday. I gave them the books.
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Informal. (used instead of the pronoun they in the predicate after the verbto be ): No, that isn’t them.
It's them, across the street.
No, that isn’t them.
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Informal. (used instead of the pronoun their before a gerund).
The boys' parents objected to them hiking without adult supervision.
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the objective case of singular they, used as a direct or indirect object.
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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): If an officer were to ask you that question directly, you would have to answer them honestly.
If you know anyone looking for a job, tell them to contact me.
If an officer were to ask you that question directly, you would have to answer them honestly.
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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 can’t believe your ex took your cat with them when they moved out.
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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).
Randi’s on vacation, so you can’t see them until next week.
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adjective
pronoun
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(objective) refers to things or people other than the speaker or people addressed
I'll kill them
what happened to them?
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a dialect word for themselves
they got them a new vice president
determiner
Grammar
Etymology
Origin of them
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English theim, theym, from Old Norse theim “them” (dative); replacing Middle English tham(e), Old English thǣm, thām; cf. they
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.
“I’m not just going to wave a magic wand and fix them all.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Often these projects are approved with little to no input from community members, either because they flew under the radar or because companies bulldozed their way into building them anyway.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
A million young people will be offered a vaccine to help protect them against meningitis B, after concerns about the number of infections this year.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Ranchers and vets say this $4 treatment for cattle will help them beat back flesh-eating screwworm.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
Some of them blame PCP for stirring up trouble.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
