ourselves

Ourselves is a pronoun used in English for the first-person plural. It functions as the reflexive form of the subject we and, in some contexts, as an intensive pronoun for emphasis. The form is built from the possessive determiner our plus the reflexive suffix -selves, following the pattern of other self-forms such as myself, yourself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Reflexive use: The action refers back to the subject: We prepared ourselves for the journey. We taught ourselves to code. In many cases, it is used when the subject performs the action on itself or on its own members. Intensive use: For emphasis, we ourselves witnessed the event or we ourselves will handle the matter. In these cases, the pronoun does not replace a simpler object form and is used to stress the subject's involvement.

Grammatical notes: Ourselves is the plural form corresponding to the singular self-derived forms. It is one of the -self/-selves pronouns that have evolved in English from Old English. In standard modern usage, it is most common in reflexive and intensive roles; for ordinary objects in prepositional phrases, us is typically preferred (for example, between us, with us, for us).

Usage considerations: Ourselves tends to appear in formal or emphatic writing and careful speech. In casual speech, speakers often rely on we as the subject or us as the object, reserving ourselves for emphasis or formal effect.