themselves

[thuhm-selvz, them-]

pronoun

1. 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.

2. an emphatic form of them or they.

   The authors themselves left the theater. The contract was written by the partners themselves.

3. a reflexive form of singular they used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition.

   1. (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.

   2. (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.

   3. (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.

4. (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.

5. their usual, normal, characteristic selves.

   After a hot meal and a few hours' rest, they were themselves again.

themselves

/ ðəmˈsɛlvz /

pronoun

1. 1. the reflexive form of they or them

   2. (intensifier)

      the team themselves voted on it

2. (preceded by a copula) their normal or usual selves

   they don't seem themselves any more

3. Also: themself. not_standard,  a reflexive form of an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody

   everyone has to look after themselves

Usage

See myself, they.

Word History and Origins

Origin of themselves¹

First recorded in 1300–50; them + selves; replacing themself, Middle English thamself; self

Example Sentences

By leveraging the threat of costly and unpredictable litigation, dominant firms burden their competitors financially and create uncertainty that undermines customer confidence in those rivals—ultimately steering business and market share toward themselves.

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"That's what we had in the last camp too. It's a natural thing. It gives opportunities for players to show themselves," said Wiegman.

Read more on BBC

Cases against a school should include strong evidence, and schools should have the opportunity to defend themselves and appeal a verdict if they believe it was wrongly issued.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After 3½ decades of Francoism, during which, the author reminds us, the dictator “decided that Spaniards were too childish to govern themselves,” there was a palpable sense of a nation orphaned.

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The large foundation labs including OpenAI are fueling demand for high-quality training data—often gathered by real people recording themselves doing everyday tasks like folding laundry, loading dishwashers or making coffee.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal