Themselves

Pronunciation: /ðəmˈsɛlvz/

Definitions of themselves

pronoun A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. 'Themselves' is a reflexive pronoun used to refer back to the subject of the sentence.

Example Sentences

A1 They need to take care of themselves.

A2 The children can dress themselves now.

B1 Employees are encouraged to think for themselves.

B2 Students should challenge themselves to achieve their full potential.

C1 Leaders must hold themselves accountable for their actions.

C2 Athletes often push themselves to the limit in pursuit of excellence.

Examples of themselves in a Sentence

formal They must learn to rely on themselves in order to succeed in the business world.

informal They need to do it themselves if they want it done right.

slang They gotta handle it themselves, no one else will do it for them.

figurative In order to truly grow, one must learn to plant the seeds themselves.

Grammatical Forms of themselves

• past tense: themselves
• plural: themselves
• comparative: more themselves
• superlative: most themselves
• present tense: themselves
• future tense: will themselves
• perfect tense: have themselves
• continuous tense: be themselves
• singular: themself
• positive degree: themselves
• infinitive: to themselves
• gerund: themselfing
• participle: themselves

Origin and Evolution of themselves

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'themselves' originated from the Old English word 'hemselfum', which was a combination of 'heom' (them) and 'selfum' (self).

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'themselves' has evolved to be used as a reflexive pronoun to refer to a group of people or things previously mentioned. It is now commonly used in modern English to indicate that the action is performed by the subjects themselves.