them

American  

[them, thuhm, uhm] / ðɛm, ðəm, əm /

pronoun

1. the objective case of plural they, used as a direct or indirect object.

   We saw them yesterday. I gave them the books.

2. 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.

3. Informal. (used instead of the pronoun their before a gerund).

   The boys' parents objected to them hiking without adult supervision.

4. the objective case of singular they, used as a direct or indirect object.

   1. (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.

   2. (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.

   3. (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

1. Nonstandard. those.

   He don't want them books.

them British  

/ ðəm, ðɛm /

pronoun

1. (objective) refers to things or people other than the speaker or people addressed

   I'll kill them

   what happened to them?

2. a dialect word for themselves

   they got them a new vice president

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determiner

1. a nonstandard word for those

   three of them oranges

Grammar

See he ¹, me, they.

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; they

Example Sentences

Unified instructor who said teachers can tell when a student’s work is original or is not and try to steer them clear of shortcuts and plagiarism.

From Los Angeles Times

But Hamilton said he would "take that with a pinch of salt" given the circumstances - and he did not even know all of them at the time.

From BBC

“Prices are only going to get higher. If you’ve been hoarding airline miles, start using them instead of paying higher fares.”

From Barron's

Private-credit fears have spread from shares of alternative asset managers to big banks that lent money to them, as investors fret about risks lurking in direct lenders’ loan books.

From MarketWatch

The Sublime, Edmund Burke wrote in 1757, terrifies in darkness, but when its effects are managed and ordered, we call them beauty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• us
• you