themself
/ð(ə)mˈsɛlf
/pronoun [third person singular]
Used instead of ‘himself’ or ‘herself’ to refer to a person of unspecified sex: the casual observer might easily think themself back in 1945...
- Despite keeping his faith closely guarded, he threw himself into the Hare Krishna movement with the enthusiasm of a college kid who'd just dropped out and then found themself again.
- Anyone who's found themself trying to navigate life's day-to-day reality in a foreign culture will relate to Ko's means of reflecting displacement.
- I hope no-one else ever finds themself in this position.
Usage
The standard reflexive form corresponding to they and them is themselves, as in they can do it themselves. The singular form themself, first recorded in the 14th century, has re-emerged in recent years corresponding to the singular gender-neutral use of they, as in this is the first step in helping someone to help themself. The form is not widely accepted in standard English, however. For more details, see they (usage).
Rhymes
- the Fall
- the Fall of Man
- the Faroes
- the Fates
- the Father
- the fat is in the fire
- The Federalist
- the Federal Union
- the female of the species
- the Fenland
- the Fens
- the Few
- the Fifteen
- the final straw
- the finer points of
- the finished article
- the firing line
- (the) first among equals
- (the) first cab off the rank
- the Flat
- the Fleet
- the Flemish
- the Flood
- the fog of war
- the forbidden degrees