What does themselves mean?
Themselves is the standard reflexive form used with the plural pronoun they. It indicates that the people or things referred to are both the performers and the recipients of the action: the visitors tied their shoes, and the machines repaired themselves. It may also be emphatic, meaning that a group acts independently or deserves emphasis: the students completed the project themselves. Because the reference is normally plural, themselves is the regular reflexive form for plural they; modern gender-neutral singular usage more often takes themself. The pronoun is common in both formal and informal British and American English, and it works with people, organizations, and inanimate plural subjects. Its compact construction makes a group's self-directed action immediately clear without repeating a full noun phrase. That clarity, together with its emphatic use, makes themselves a particularly useful pronoun in everyday prose and explanatory writing.
pronounThemselves is the reflexive pronoun used with the plural pronoun they, indicating that the people or things referred to are both the performers and the recipients of an action. It can also be used emphatically, meaning that a group acts independently or without outside help.
- A reflexive pronoun referring to a plural group whose members perform an action on themselves individually or collectively.
- An emphatic use indicating that a group acts by itself, without outside help, or that the subject deserves special emphasis.
"After the storm, the stranded hikers wrapped themselves in thermal blankets and waited for rescue."
"The children dressed themselves and went outside to play."
"The research team completed the report entirely by themselves."
Themselves packs a pronoun and a noun into one, marking a group as both the doers and the recipients of an action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of themselves
Themselves is an English compound formed from them and selves. Them is the objective form of they, while selves is the plural of self, an Old English word related to German selbst and Dutch zelf. The compound follows the broader English reflexive pattern in which self or selves identifies the subject of an action as its recipient.
How themselves is actually used
Standard in formal and informal British and American English. With plural they, themselves is the normal reflexive form; with singular they, modern usage commonly takes themself, although some style guides continue to prefer a construction that avoids it.
Easily confused with themselves
Themself is the singular form used with singular they, whereas themselves is the usual reflexive form for plural they.