- oneself
- [[t]wʌnse̱lf[/t]]
(Oneself is a third person singular reflexive pronoun.)1) PRON-REFL A speaker or writer uses oneself as the object of a verb or preposition in a clause where `oneself' meaning `me' or `any person in general' refers to the same person as the subject of the verb. [FORMAL]
One must apply oneself to the present and keep one's eyes firmly fixed on one's future goals...
To work one must have time to oneself.
2) PRON-REFL Oneself can be used as the object of a verb or preposition, when `one' is not present but is understood to be the subject of the verb. [FORMAL]The historic feeling of the town makes it a pleasant place to base oneself for summer vacations...
The only guarantee of having a cabin to oneself is by travelling first class...
It's so easy to feel sorry for oneself...
The doll-like figures in these stories are unlike anybody, let alone oneself.
3) PRON-REFL-EMPH To do something oneself means to do it without any help from anyone else. [FORMAL]It is a very rewarding exercise to work this out oneself...
Some things one must do oneself.
Syn:4) PRON-REFL-EMPH (emphasis) You use oneself to emphasize that something happens to you rather than to people in general. [FORMAL]It is better to die oneself than to kill.
English dictionary. 2008.