yourself

[yoo r-self, yawr-, yohr-, yer-]

pronoun, plural your·selves [yoo r-selvz, yawr-, yohr-, yer-] /yʊərˈsɛlvz, yɔr-, yoʊr-, yər-/.

(an emphatic appositive of you or ye¹): a letter you yourself wrote.

a reflexive form of you (used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition): Don't blame yourself. Did you ever ask yourself “why”? You can think for yourself.

Informal. (used in place of you, especially in compound subjects, objects, and complements): Ted and yourself have been elected. We saw your sister and yourself at the game. People like yourselves always feel like that.

(used in absolute constructions): Yourself having so little money, how could they expect you to help?

your normal or customary self: You'll soon be yourself again.

(used in place of you after as, than, or but): scholars as famous as yourselves; a girl no older than yourself.

oneself: The surest way is to do it yourself.

Origin of yourself

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at your, self

Usage note

See myself.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for yourselves

Contemporary Examples of yourselves

“You are part of something older than yourselves,” is what the site says.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really.
Ana Marie Cox
December 20, 2014
And that takes a sense of humor about yourselves and others.
Transcript: Thomas Friedman Interviews Hillary Clinton and Christine Lagarde
April 5, 2014
It is even possible that I am doing you an injustice and that you, yourselves, know nothing about this dog-in-the-Wanger attitude.
Harvey Weinstein’s Battle With Warner Bros. Over ‘The Butler’: There's History
Marlow Stern
July 12, 2013
One correspondent with the late ambassador urged him to send someone to Dernaa to “see the truth for yourselves.”
Exclusive: Libya Cable Detailed Threats
Eli Lake
October 8, 2012
And wingers, as a general principle, just get ahold of yourselves, would you?
An Article That Made Me Sad, and a Little Response to Readers
Michael Tomasky
June 12, 2012

Historical Examples of yourselves

And how of the heap of trifles that you can see for yourselves in yonder corner?
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
You and every other boy in your classes ought to thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
You can try to piece out for yourselves what sort of stories they were.
American Notes
Rudyard Kipling
There's just them and yourselves, sir, you and the mistress and Master Will.
Echoes of the War
J. M. Barrie
As for me, I think—But I leave it with you to say for yourselves which you hold with.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle

British Dictionary definitions for yourselves

yourself

pronoun plural -selves

the reflexive form of you
(intensifier)you yourself control your destiny

(preceded by a copula) your normal or usual selfyou're not yourself these days

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

Word Origin and History for yourselves

yourself

by early 14c., from your + self. Plural yourselves first recorded 1520s.