pron
ourselves
ow-uh-SEHLVZ
pron
1
Used to refer back to the speaker and others as the same people affected by the action, or to emphasize that group.
"We treated ourselves to a nice dinner after the exam."
"We built the shed ourselves, without any help."
How to Use Ourselves
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe reflexive/emphatic form of "we" — used when the doer and the receiver of an action are the same group.
Common mistake
Don't use "ourselves" as a simple substitute for "we" or "us" — say "John and I went," not "John and ourselves went."
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “ourselves”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
We treated _____ to a nice dinner after the exam.
Etymology
Formed from "our" plus "-selves," matching the pattern of other reflexive pronouns like "themselves."