themselves | TKG English Learner's Dictionary

themselvespronoun

American /ðɛmˈsɛlvz/ British /ðemˈselvz/^? The stress falls on the second part: them-SELVES.

Also: themself (an alternative singular form, used for one person of unstated sex; less common than themselves in this use)

very commondefining vocabulary

Themselves refers back to the people or things already meant by they, either as the object of their own action or to show that they, no one else, did it.

reflexiveused as the object of a verb or preposition when the action affects the same people or things that are the subject
Themselves is used when the subject and the object of the same clause refer to the same people: they blamed themselves. For one person of unstated sex, themselves (or the newer themself) is used the same way: everyone should look after themselves.
- They blamed themselves for the delay.
- The children taught themselves to swim.
- Everyone should be proud of themselves today.
- Ask each guest to introduce themselves.
Compare each other
for emphasisused after a noun or pronoun, or alone, to show that the people or things just mentioned, and no one else, did something or were affected
This emphatic use often comes right after the subject or at the end of the clause: they themselves don't believe it; they painted the house themselves.
- They themselves don't believe the plan will work.
- The students organized the trip themselves.

Phrases

by themselves

alone, without other people, or without help

The kids played by themselves all afternoon.
They finished the project by themselves.

Word family

they (the subject form)
them (the object form)
their (the possessive, before a noun)
theirs (the independent possessive)

Usage

Themselves is used only when the subject and the object of the same clause are the same people; it is not a more polite or formal way of saying them.

Common mistakes

We invited themselves to the party. We invited them to the party.
Themselves is used only when the subject and the object are the same people; here the subject is we, so the plain object form them is needed.

For translators

Grammar trap English marks a reflexive pronoun with its own form (myself, ourselves, themselves, and so on), different from the ordinary object pronoun; many languages use one reflexive form for every person, or reuse the ordinary object pronoun instead.