Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
itself
it-self′
(ĭt-sĕlf′)
, p
ron.
The neuter reflexive pronoun of
It
; as, the thing is good in
itself
; it stands by itself
.Borrowing of foreigners, in
itself
, makes not the kingdom rich or poor. Locke.
Webster 1828 Edition
Itself
ITSELF'
, pron. [it and self.] The neutral reciprocal pronoun, or substitute applied to things. The thing is good in itself; it stands by itself. Borrowing of foreigners, in itself, makes not the kingdom rich or poor.
Definition 2024
itself
itself
See also: it self
English
Pronoun
itself (the third person singular, neuter, personal pronoun, the reflexive form of it, masculine himself, feminine herself, plural themselves)
- (reflexive) it; A thing as the object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject
- The door closed by itself
- (emphatic) it; used to intensify the subject, especially to emphasize that it is the only participant in the predicate
- The door itself is quite heavy.
- (emphatic, archaic) it; used to refer back to an earlier subject
- 1842, Andrew Ure, A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
- The oil by degrees gets covered with a curdy mass, which after some time settles to the bottom, while itself becomes limpid and colorless.
- 1842, Andrew Ure, A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
Derived terms
- in-itselfness
- thing-in-itself
See also
English personal pronouns
| Number | Person | Type | Subject | Objective | Reflexive | Possessive adjective | Possessive pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | First | — | I | me | myself | my, mine (archaic) |
mine |
| Second | — | you | you | yourself | your | yours, yourn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
| Archaic | thou | thee | thyself, theeself |
thy, thine |
thine | ||
| Third | Masculine | he | him | himself, hisself (archaic) |
his | his, hisn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
| Feminine | she | her | herself | her | hers, hern (obsolete outside dialects) |
||
| Neuter | it | itself | its | its | |||
| Indefinite | one | oneself | one's | — | |||
| Plural | First | — | we | us | ourselves | our | ours, ourn (obsolete outside dialects) |
| Second | — | you, ye (archaic) |
you | yourselves | your | yours, yourn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
| Third | — | they | them | themselves | their | theirs, theirn (obsolete outside dialects) |
|
Translations
(reflexive) it
|
(emphatic) it