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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. the reflexive form of they or them

    2. (intensifier)

      the team themselves voted on it

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

    they don't seem themselves any more

  2. Also: themselfnot_standard,  a reflexive form of an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody

    everyone has to look after themselves

“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
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Usage

See myself, they.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of themselves1

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

The Public Order Act was in part passed to counter environmental groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, which deployed tactics aimed at causing disruption such as gluing themselves to roads.

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For the students who'd been invited under the Israeli government's "Earn and Learn Programme" it was a great opportunity to make better lives for themselves and their families in Nepal.

Read more on BBC

A recent report shows a double-digit increase this year in fraud targeting banks’ small-business lending programs, with bad actors misrepresenting themselves to obtain cash in the form of loans.

Read more on MarketWatch

When you’re in court defending accusations that your app encourages teenagers to hurt themselves, your business model might need a rethink.

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They’re not necessarily trying to make you feel bad, but they may be trying to reassure themselves that they’re doing OK.

Read more on MarketWatch

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themselfthem's fighting words