English

Personal pronoun

themselves

1. (the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun) The people previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition, where the people are also the subject of the verb; 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.

2. The person of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition, where the person is also the subject of the verb; 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): One of the children did this themselves.

Synonyms

• (non-gender-specific): himself, themself