themselves
Etymology

Morphologically them + -selves.

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ðɛmˈsɛlvz/, /ðəmˈsɛlvz/
Pronoun
  1. (reflexive 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[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVI, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      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.
  2. (reflexive pronoun) 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): I don't want anyone to fight among themselves.
    (for emphasis): Everyone must do it themselves.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Philippians 2:3 ↗:
      Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
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