ENGLISH
REFERENCE

oneself

pron.
B1 Intermediate US //ˌwənˈsɛɫf// UK //wɒnsˈɛlf// one·self

pron. a formal way to say 'yourself' or 'himself' when talking about any person. You use it to avoid naming a specific gender or person.

pron. a reflexive pronoun used for indefinite or generic subjects, replacing gender-specific forms like 'himself' or 'herself'.


COMPLEX

The philosopher argued that true self-knowledge requires one to examine oneself without bias or external influence.

Origin

A contracted form of one's self (Mid-16th century). Equivalent to one + -self.

Usage

Used with indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', or 'one'.

Idioms58 entries

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