DictionaryAI

itself

pronoun
it-SELF/ɪtˈsɛlf/

3 meanings of itself

Practice

  1. 1
    as objectpronounreflexiveneuter
    Used when an action goes back to the same thing that does the action.

    Like looking in a mirror: the action comes back to the one who started it.

    The cat licked itself clean after dinner.

    The machine turns itself off when the job is finished.

    UsageBy itself means alone, with no help: the light turns on by itself.

  2. 2
    for emphasispronounemphaticneuter
    Used after a thing's name to show that exact thing, and nothing else, is meant.

    The town itself is small, but many people visit the lake nearby.

    The test itself was easy, but waiting for the results was hard.

    UsagePut it after the thing's name. Without it, the sentence still works: the test itself was easy.

    Note
  3. 3
    as subjectpronounarchaicemphaticneuter
    Used in old writing instead of 'it' to point back to something already named.
    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 ArtsHere, itself simply means it, referring back to the oil.

    UsageToday, just say it.

    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of itself apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English hit-self, made from "it" plus "-self".

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 2 facts