Adjacent Words

Ourselves definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OURSELVES, plu. of ourself. We or us, not others; added to we, by way of emphasis or opposition.
We ourselves might distinctly number in words a great deal farther than we usually do.
Safe in ourselves, while on ourselves we stand.

Merriam Webster's

pronoun plural Date: 15th century 1. those identical ones that are we — used reflexively <we're doing it solely for ourselves>, for emphasis <we ourselves will never go>, or in absolute constructions <ourselves no longer young, we can sympathize with those who are old> — compare we 1 2. our normal, healthy, or sane condition <just not ourselves today>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

pron. 1 a emphat. form of WE or US (we ourselves did it; made it ourselves; for our friends and ourselves). b refl. form of US (are pleased with ourselves). 2 in our normal state of body or mind (not quite ourselves today). Phrases and idioms: be ourselves act in our normal unconstrained manner. by ourselves see by oneself.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Myself My*self", pron.; pl. Ourselves. I or me in person; -- used for emphasis, my own self or person; as I myself will do it; I have done it myself; -- used also instead of me, as the object of the first person of a reflexive verb, without emphasis; as, I will defend myself.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ourselves Our*selves", pron. ; sing. Ourself (?). An emphasized form of the pronoun of the first person plural; -- used as a subject, usually with we; also, alone in the predicate, in the nominative or the objective case. We ourselves might distinctly number in words a great deal further then we usually do. --Locke. Safe in ourselves, while on ourselves we stand. --Dryden. Note: The form ourself is usec only in the regal or formal style after we or us, denoting a single person. Unless we would denude ourself of all force. --Clarendon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. Note: 'Ourselves' is the first person plural reflexive pronoun. 1. You use ourselves to refer to yourself and one or more other people as a group. We sat round the fire to keep ourselves warm... It was the first time we admitted to ourselves that we were tired. PRON: v PRON, prep PRON 2. A speaker or writer sometimes uses ourselves to refer to people in general. Ourselves is used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject refers to the same people. We all know that when we exert ourselves our heart rate increases. PRON: v PRON, prep PRON 3. You use ourselves to emphasize a first person plural subject. In more formal English, ourselves is sometimes used instead of 'us' as the object of a verb or preposition, for emphasis. Others are feeling just the way we ourselves would feel in the same situation... The people who will suffer won't be people like ourselves. PRON [emphasis] 4. If you say something such as 'We did it ourselves', you are indicating that something was done by you and a particular group of other people, rather than anyone else. We villagers built that ourselves, we had no help from anyone. PRON