Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Themselves
Webster 1828 Edition
Themselves
THEMSELVES
, a compound of them and selves, and added to they by way of emphasis or pointed distinction. Thus we say, they themselves have done the mischief; they cannot blame others. In this case, themselves is in the nominative case, and maybe considered as an emphatical pronoun.In some cases, themselves is used without they, and strands as the only nominative to the following verb. Themselves have done the mischief.
This word is used also in the objective case after a verb or preposition. Things in themselves innocent, may under certain circumstances cease to be so.
They open to themselves at length the way.
Definition 2024
themselves
themselves
English
Pronoun
themselves (personal pronoun)
- The reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun. The group of people, animals, or objects previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).
- (reflexively): They’ve hurt themselves.
- (after a preposition): They fought among themselves.
- (for emphasis): They are going to try climbing Mount Everest themselves.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 16, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
- The preposterous altruism too! […] Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog.
- The reflexive case of they, the third-person singular personal pronoun. The single person previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).
- (reflexively): Would whoever stole my phone please make themselves known.
- (after a preposition): They’ve brought this on themselves.
- (for emphasis): The child did this themselves.
- 1611, King James Bible, Philippians 2.3:
- Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Usage notes
- Regarding the use of singular themselves, see they.
Synonyms
- theirselves (nonstandard)
- (singular): themself (non-gender-specific)
- (singular): himself, herself (gender-specific)
See also
English personal pronouns
| Number | Person | Type | Subject | Objective | Reflexive | Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | First | — | I | me | myself | my, mine (archaic) |
mine |
| Second | — | you | you | yourself | your | yours, yourn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
| Archaic | thou | thee | thyself, theeself |
thy, thine |
thine | ||
| Third | Masculine | he | him | himself, hisself (archaic) |
his | his, hisn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
| Feminine | she | her | herself | her | hers, hern (obsolete outside dialects) |
||
| Neuter | it | itself | its | its | |||
| Indefinite | one | oneself | one's | — | |||
| Plural | First | — | we | us | ourselves | our | ours, ourn (obsolete outside dialects) |
| Second | — | you, ye (archaic) |
you | yourselves | your | yours, yourn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
| Third | — | they | them | themselves | their | theirs, theirn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
Translations
the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
emphatic: they
|
the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition