ourself

ourself
/ahr self", oweur-, ow'euhr-/, pron.
1. one's own person, individuality, etc., considered as private and apart from others: It is for ourself that we should strive for greater knowledge.
2. (a form corresponding to ourselves, used of a single person, esp. in the regal or formal style, as we for I): We have taken unto ourself such powers as may be necessary.
[1300-50; ME oure self; see OUR, SELF]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • ourself — The standard reflexive form of we and us is ourselves (as in We are going to enjoy ourselves), but a form ourself is recorded from the 14c onwards in uses corresponding to we used of a single person • (I loved your father, and we love ourself… …   Modern English usage

  • ourself — ► PRONOUN (first person pl. ) ▪ used instead of ‘ourselves’, typically when ‘we’ refers to people in general …   English terms dictionary

  • ourself — [our self′] pron. a form corresponding to OURSELVES, used, as in royal proclamations, by one person who refers to himself or herself as “we”: see WE (sense 2) …   English World dictionary

  • Ourself — 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. [1913 Webster] We… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ourself — [[t]aʊə(r)se̱lf[/t]] PRON REFL: v PRON, prep PRON Ourself is sometimes used instead of ourselves when it clearly refers to a singular subject. Some people consider this use to be incorrect. ...the way we think of ourself and others …   English dictionary

  • ourself — our•self [[t]ɑrˈsɛlf, aʊər , ˌaʊ ər [/t]] pron. 1) one s own person, individuality, etc., considered apart from others: It is for ourself that we must work harder[/ex] 2) (a form corresponding to ourselves, used by a single person, esp. in the… …   From formal English to slang

  • ourself — pronoun Date: 14th century myself used to refer to the single person subject when we is used instead of I (as by a sovereign) < will keep ourself till supper time alone Shakespeare > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ourself — pronoun [first person plural] 1》 used instead of ‘ourselves’ typically when ‘we’ refers to people in general. 2》 archaic used instead of ‘myself’ by a sovereign. Usage The standard reflexive form corresponding to we and us is ourselves, as in we… …   English new terms dictionary

  • ourself — /aʊəˈsɛlf / (say owuh self) pronoun a form corresponding to ourselves, used of a single person or other entity, used most consciously (like we for I) in the regal or formal style: *We have just got a firm belief in ourself that we are a… …  

  • ourself — pronoun The reflexive of the editorial or royal we; myself as used by a writer or speaker who would refer to himself in the nominative case as we. (Normally, the reflexive case of we is ourselves) …   Wiktionary

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