selves: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2neutral (used in all registers)
Quick answer
What does “selves” mean?
The plural form of 'self', referring to the identity, personality, or essential qualities of individuals.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The plural form of 'self', referring to the identity, personality, or essential qualities of individuals.
Used with plural personal pronouns to indicate that the action of the verb reflects back on multiple subjects, often emphasizing their own actions or existence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core usage. 'Themselves' is standard plural; 'themself' is a disputed, emerging singular form occasionally used in both dialects but more visible in AmE.
Connotations
Identical connotations.
Frequency
Identical frequency.
Grammar
How to Use “selves” in a Sentence
[PLURAL PRONOUN] + 'selves' (reflexive object/emphasis)Verb + [plural pronoun] + 'selves' (reflexive)'selves' as plural noun preceded by determiner (e.g., their, our, separate)Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in team contexts: 'The team needs to organise themselves for the presentation.'
Academic
Used in psychology/philosophy as a plural noun: 'The participants reported distinct selves in different contexts.'
Everyday
Reflexive and emphatic use: 'They built the shed themselves.'
Technical
In linguistics, a plural reflexive pronoun form.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “selves”
- Using 'theirselves' instead of 'themselves' (non-standard).
- Using 'selves' without a preceding plural pronoun as a subject (e.g., 'Selves are important' – awkward; better 'The concept of selves is important').
- Omitting 'selves' when reflexivity is needed (e.g., 'They enjoyed at the party' instead of 'They enjoyed themselves at the party').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'theirselves' is non-standard. The correct reflexive plural form is 'themselves'.
Yes, but primarily as a plural noun (e.g., 'our inner selves'), not as a reflexive pronoun on its own. A plural pronoun (our, their, your) must precede it for the reflexive meaning.
'Ourselves' is reflexive (the action reflects back on the subject 'we'). 'Each other' is reciprocal (an action exchanged between members of the group). 'We introduced ourselves' vs. 'We introduced each other'.
With singular 'they', the formal reflexive pronoun is still 'themselves' (e.g., 'Someone left their phone; they must be worried about themselves'). 'Themself' is emerging in informal use but is not yet fully accepted in formal writing.
The plural form of 'self', referring to the identity, personality, or essential qualities of individuals.
Selves is usually neutral (used in all registers) in register.
Selves: in British English it is pronounced /sɛlvz/, and in American English it is pronounced /sɛlvz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “by ourselves/yourselves/themselves”
- “to ourselves/yourselves/themselves”
- “true/better selves”
- “inner selves”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'shelves' – but replace the 'sh' with 's' to hold multiple identities instead of books.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE SELF IS A CONTAINER (we have inner/outer selves); THE SELF IS AN OBJECT (we can discover/lose/hide our selves).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'selves' correctly as a plural noun?