Another Word for Oneself: 19 Synonyms With Examples

The closest everyday alternative to oneself is yourself, as in “It is important to look after yourself.” Depending on who the subject is, you can also use myself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, or themselves.

Oneself is a formal reflexive pronoun that goes with the general pronoun one. Because of that, the best alternative depends on the subject of your sentence, and on whether you mean the person’s identity or doing something alone or without help.

Quick list: yourself, myself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves, one’s self, self, personally

This article looks at 19 alternatives with meanings, IPA, usage notes, examples, and context. Some are reflexive pronouns that replace oneself when the subject changes. Others are nouns or adverbs that cover related meanings, and each one is labeled so you know exactly how far it can stand in for oneself.

At a Glance: Oneself Synonyms and Related Alternatives

Alternative	Part of Speech	Meaning	Register / Tone	Ideal Context
Yourself	Pronoun	Reflexive form of you, also used for general statements	Neutral, everyday	Advice and general rules
Myself	Pronoun	Reflexive form of I or me	Neutral	The speaker is the subject
Himself	Pronoun	Reflexive form of he	Neutral	A man or boy is the subject
Herself	Pronoun	Reflexive form of she	Neutral	A woman or girl is the subject
Themselves	Pronoun	Reflexive form of they	Neutral	A group, or a single person with singular they
Ourselves	Pronoun	Reflexive form of we	Neutral	The speaker and others are the subject
Self	Noun	A person’s own nature or identity	Neutral to formal	Psychology, philosophy, and everyday talk about identity
Personally	Adverb	In person, or without using someone else	Neutral	Emphasis, as in “I did it personally”
Alone	Adjective, adverb	Without other people	Neutral	Replacing “by oneself”
Unaided	Adjective, adverb	Without help	Neutral to formal	Replacing “by oneself” when help is the point

Which Word Should You Use?

If you want to…	Use	Why
Make a general rule in everyday English	Yourself	It sounds natural and direct. Oneself can sound stiff.
Talk about the speaker	Myself	It matches I or me.
Talk about a man or boy	Himself	It matches he.
Talk about a woman or girl	Herself	It matches she.
Talk about one person without naming gender	Themself, or rewrite in the plural	Himself or herself can feel heavy, and a plural rewrite avoids the problem.
Talk about a group	Ourselves, yourselves, or themselves	The pronoun must match the subject.
Say that someone did something without company	Alone or solo	Both replace “by oneself” in the sense of being alone.
Say that someone did something without help	Unaided or independently	Both replace “by oneself” in the sense of not needing help.
Talk about a person’s identity as an idea	Self or identity	These are nouns, so they work where oneself cannot.

Exploring the Multiple Meanings of “Oneself”

1. Reflexive Use: Turning the Action Back on the Subject

• Meaning: A person’s own self, used as the object of a verb or a preposition.
• Explanation: This is the main use. The subject and the object are the same person, and the subject is the general pronoun one, so the sentence is a general statement about people.
• Example: One should always treat oneself with kindness.

2. Emphatic Use: Stressing That the Person Acts Directly

• Meaning: An intensifier that stresses the person who acts.
• Explanation: Here oneself adds emphasis. It says that the person does something directly, not through someone else.
• Example: One can read about swimming for years, but one has to try it oneself.

3. Usual Self: A Normal, Healthy Condition

• Meaning: One’s normal, healthy, or usual state.
• Explanation: This sense follows verbs like be or feel.
• Example: After a long flu, one does not feel oneself for a while.

4. “By Oneself”: Alone or Without Help

• Meaning: Without a companion, or through one’s own efforts and without help.
• Explanation: This fixed phrase has two meanings, and the context tells you which one is intended. It is the reason alone, unaided, and independently show up as alternatives.
• Example: It is hard to move a heavy sofa by oneself.

Sources: Merriam Webster, “oneself”; Dictionary.com, “oneself” (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/oneself); WordReference, Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English, “oneself”

Analyzing 19 Oneself Alternatives in Detail

Some alternatives below are reflexive pronouns that take over when the subject changes, while others are nouns or adverbs that only match one sense of oneself, and each entry says which kind it is.

Reflexive Pronouns for a Specific Subject

1. Myself

IPA: /maɪˈsɛlf/ (US and UK)

Definition: The reflexive form of I or me, also used to add emphasis.

• Usage: Use it when the speaker is the subject. It is a direct replacement for oneself, but only in sentences about the speaker. It is neutral in tone.
• Example: I reminded myself to breathe before the interview.

2. Yourself

IPA: US /jɔːrˈsɛlf/ · UK /jɔːˈsɛlf/

Definition: The reflexive form of you, also used to add emphasis.

• Usage: This is the closest everyday alternative. Dictionary.com even lists a sense of yourself that means oneself. It works in advice and general statements, and it sounds warmer and less formal than oneself.
• Example: If you want to understand a recipe, try cooking it yourself.

3. Himself

IPA: /hɪmˈsɛlf/ (US and UK)

Definition: The reflexive and emphatic form of he.

• Usage: Use it when a man or boy is the subject. It replaces oneself only in a specific sentence, not in a general rule.
• Example: Rafi cut himself while chopping onions.

4. Herself

IPA: US /hɚˈsɛlf/ · UK /həˈsɛlf/

Definition: The reflexive and emphatic form of she.

• Usage: Use it when a woman or girl is the subject. Like himself, it is a specific replacement and not a general one.
• Example: The coach reminded herself to stay calm during the final set.

5. Itself

IPA: /ɪtˈsɛlf/ (US and UK)

Definition: The reflexive and emphatic form of it.

• Usage: It fits things, animals, systems, and organizations. It does not replace oneself for people.
• Example: The printer turns itself off after ten minutes.

6. Ourselves

IPA: US /aʊərˈsɛlvz/ · UK /aʊəˈsɛlvz/

Definition: The reflexive and emphatic form of we or us.

• Usage: Use it when the speaker is part of the group. It changes oneself into a plural, so the meaning shifts from “a person” to “us.”
• Example: We treated ourselves to ice cream after the exam.

7. Yourselves

IPA: US /jɔːrˈsɛlvz/ · UK /jɔːˈsɛlvz/

Definition: The plural reflexive and emphatic form of you.

• Usage: Use it when you speak to more than one person. It is common in instructions, which makes it a good everyday match for a formal oneself.
• Example: Please introduce yourselves to your group before we begin.

8. Themselves

IPA: /ðəmˈsɛlvz/ (US and UK)

Definition: The reflexive and emphatic form of they or them.

• Usage: Use it for a group, and also for a single person when singular they is used. It is the most flexible pronoun in this family.
• Example: The students organized the whole event themselves.

9. Themself

IPA: /ðəmˈsɛlf/ (US and UK)

Definition: A reflexive form of they used for one person.

• Usage: This is a contextual alternative. It lets you avoid “himself or herself” when the person’s gender is unknown or not stated. Some readers and editors still treat it as nonstandard, so check your style guide before you use it.
• Example: Each applicant must introduce themself to the panel.

A Spelling Variant

10. One’s self

IPA: /wʌnz ˈsɛlf/ (US and UK)

Definition: The older two word form of oneself, meaning a person’s own self.

• Usage: This is a variant, not a different word. Etymonline traces it to the 1540s, and Dictionary.com labels it archaic. Modern writers use oneself as one word, so choose one’s self only when you copy an older text.
• Example: The old essay urges readers to be true to one’s self.

Noun Alternatives for the Idea of the Self

11. Self

IPA: /sɛlf/ (US and UK)

Definition: A person’s own nature, character, or individuality.

• Usage: This is a noun, so it cannot replace oneself in a reflexive sentence. Use it when you talk about the idea of identity, as in “a sense of self.” Self is also listed as a pronoun in a narrow use, as in making a check payable to self.
• Example: Therapists often talk about a person’s sense of self.

12. Selfhood

IPA: /ˈsɛlfhʊd/ (US and UK)

Definition: The state of being a distinct person with an identity of one’s own.

• Usage: This is a formal, abstract noun. It is related to oneself through the root self, but it is not a synonym in the reflexive sense.
• Example: The novel follows a young woman’s search for selfhood.

13. Identity

IPA: US /aɪˈdɛnəti/ · UK /aɪˈdɛntɪti/

Definition: Who a person is, or the qualities that make a person or group different from others.

• Usage: This is a related alternative only. It works when the sentence is about the idea of a person’s self, but it cannot take the place of oneself as an object.
• Example: Moving abroad changed how she thought about her identity.

14. Individuality

IPA: US /ˌɪndəˌvɪdʒuˈæləti/ · UK /ˌɪndɪˌvɪdʒuˈælɪti/

Definition: The qualities that make a person different from everyone else.

• Usage: This is a related alternative that focuses on what makes a person unique. It is a noun, and it is less direct than self.
• Example: The school encourages students to express their individuality.

Alternatives for the Emphatic Use and for “By Oneself”

15. Personally

IPA: US /ˈpɜːrsənəli/ · UK /ˈpɜːsənəli/

Definition: In person, or done by the speaker and not through someone else.

• Usage: This is a contextual alternative for the emphatic use of oneself, as in “do it oneself.” It does not work as a reflexive object.
• Example: The director personally thanked every volunteer.

16. Alone

IPA: US /əˈloʊn/ · UK /əˈləʊn/

Definition: Without any other person; by oneself.

• Usage: It replaces the phrase “by oneself” in the sense of being without company. It does not mean “without help,” so check the context.
• Example: She likes to hike alone on weekends.

17. Solo

IPA: US /ˈsoʊloʊ/ · UK /ˈsəʊləʊ/

Definition: Done alone, without a partner or companion.

• Usage: A casual, lively alternative for “by oneself” when it means alone. It fits travel and performance contexts.
• Example: He traveled solo through Portugal last spring.

18. Unaided

IPA: /ʌnˈeɪdɪd/ (US and UK)

Definition: Done without help from anyone or anything.

• Usage: It replaces “by oneself” in the sense of not needing help. It is neutral to formal, and it stresses ability, not loneliness.
• Example: Grandfather climbed the stairs unaided.

19. Independently

IPA: /ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli/ (US and UK)

Definition: Without being controlled or helped by other people.

• Usage: It is a contextual alternative for “by oneself” when it means without outside control. Choose it for work, study, and decision making.
• Example: The interns worked independently on separate parts of the report.

Sources: Merriam Webster; Dictionary.com entries for oneself, yourself, myself, itself, and self (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/oneself, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/yourself); Collins English Dictionary as quoted on Dictionary.com; Etymonline (https://www.etymonline.com/word/oneself); Wiktionary, entry for the suffix self

Oneself vs Yourself vs Himself or Herself

The main job of this family of words is to match the subject. The word you pick must agree with the person doing the action.

Word	Used when the subject is	Example
Oneself	One (a general, formal subject)	One should prepare oneself before a big test.
Yourself	You	You should prepare yourself before a big test.
Himself	He	He prepared himself before the test.
Herself	She	She prepared herself before the test.
Themselves	They, or a single person using singular they	They prepared themselves before the test.
Themself	A single person using singular they	Each student must prepare themself.

Do not mix these in one sentence. “One should look after yourself” is a mismatch because one needs oneself. The fix is either “One should look after oneself” or “You should look after yourself.”

When the person’s gender is unknown, “himself or herself” is correct but heavy. A plural rewrite is often smoother. “Students should prepare themselves” reads better than “A student should prepare himself or herself.”

Sources: Dictionary.com, entries for oneself and yourself; Merriam Webster, “oneself”

Oneself and Opposite or Paired Word Pairs

Word	Paired Word	Note
Oneself	Others	The natural contrast, as in “taking care of oneself and others.”
One	Oneself	The subject and its reflexive partner.
Be oneself	Put on airs	Being sincere versus acting in a false way.
By oneself	With others	Alone or unaided versus together with other people.
Oneself	One’s own	The reflexive form pairs with the possessive in many sentences, as in “to do one’s own work oneself.”

Oneself rarely has a true opposite because it is a pronoun. The useful contrasts are with other people (“others”) and with false behavior (“putting on airs”). The pair “one and oneself” matters most for grammar, since the two must appear together in formal statements.

Sources: Merriam Webster, “oneself”; WordReference, Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English, “oneself”

Common Word Partners of “Oneself”

Pattern	Common Partners	Example
Verb + oneself	ask, express, explain, protect, repeat, help	It helps to ask oneself a simple question first.
Preposition + oneself	about, at, by, for, to	One should be able to laugh at oneself.
Adjective + of + oneself	proud of, sure of, full of	It is good to feel proud of oneself after hard work.
Fixed phrases	be oneself, keep to oneself, find oneself, make oneself at home	Guests were told to make themselves at home, a phrase that adapts to the subject.
Think + for + oneself	think for oneself	A good education teaches one to think for oneself.

Sources: Dictionary.com, “oneself” and idioms list; Merriam Webster, “oneself”; WordReference, Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English, “oneself”

Idiomatic Phrases Featuring “Oneself”

1. Be oneself

• Meaning: To act in a natural and sincere way, or to be in one’s normal state.
• Example: At the interview, she decided to be herself and speak honestly.

2. Beside oneself

• Meaning: To be overcome by strong emotion, such as anger, worry, or joy.
• Example: He was beside himself with worry when the flight was delayed.

3. Keep to oneself

• Meaning: To stay apart from other people, or to keep something private.
• Example: The new neighbor keeps to himself, so we rarely see him.

4. Pride oneself on

• Meaning: To feel proud of a quality, skill, or achievement.
• Example: The bakery prides itself on using fresh ingredients every morning.

Sources: Dictionary.com, “oneself” idioms; Merriam Webster, “oneself”; WordReference, Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English, “oneself”

Word Formation of “Oneself”

Etymology & Structure

Oneself is made of two parts: one and self. It began as an emphatic form of one joined with self, and it was used to mean “a person’s self” without showing gender. One comes from Old English an, which goes back to Proto Germanic and a Proto Indo European root meaning “one” or “unique.” Self comes from Old English self.

Date and History

Merriam Webster gives 1540 as the first known use. Etymonline dates one’s self to the 1540s, says it was hyphenated in the 18th century, and says it was written as one word from about 1827, on the model of himself, herself, myself, and itself. Dictionary.com describes oneself as a shortened form of one’s self, first recorded in 1540 to 1550.

Word Class Variations

• Pronoun: oneself is a pronoun only. It has no verb, adjective, or adverb form.
• Related pronouns: one, one’s, and the other reflexive forms, myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.
• Related noun: self (plural selves), and the derivative selfhood.

Sources: Etymonline, “oneself” (https://www.etymonline.com/word/oneself); Merriam Webster, “oneself”; Dictionary.com, “oneself”; Wiktionary, entry for the suffix self

Common Word Choice Mistakes

• Wrong: She should ask oneself first. Correct: She should ask herself first.
• Wrong: One should protect yourself. Correct: One should protect oneself.
• Wrong: Oneself should always be honest. Correct: One should always be honest. Oneself cannot be the subject.
• Wrong: Maria and myself will present. Correct: Maria and I will present. Myself is a reflexive, not a stand in for I.
• Wrong: oneselves. Correct: ourselves, yourselves, or themselves. Oneself has no plural form of its own.
• Wrong: one self. Correct: oneself, written as one word.
• Wrong: Use themself everywhere in formal writing. Correct: Use themselves, or rewrite the sentence, unless your style guide accepts themself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for oneself? The most common alternatives are yourself, myself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, and themselves. Which one you choose depends on the subject of your sentence.

What is the closest everyday alternative to oneself? Yourself. It works in general advice and sounds less formal than oneself.

What does oneself mean? It means a person’s own self. It is used as an object after a verb or preposition, or to add emphasis, and it goes with the general pronoun one.

Is it oneself or one’s self? Modern English writes oneself as one word. One’s self is an older form that you mostly meet in older texts.

Can oneself be used with I or you? No. Use myself with I and yourself with you.

What is the difference between oneself and himself or herself? Oneself goes with the general pronoun one and makes general statements. Himself and herself are for a specific man or woman.

Is themself correct? It is used for a single person with singular they, but some readers and editors still avoid it. Check your style guide, or choose themselves or a plural rewrite.

What does “by oneself” mean? It means alone, or without help, depending on the context.

What does “be oneself” mean? It means to act naturally and sincerely, or to be in one’s normal condition.

What is the noun that matches oneself? Self. Related nouns such as selfhood and identity talk about the same idea but work in different ways.

Conclusion

The closest and most common alternative to oneself is yourself, and the other reflexive pronouns, myself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, and themselves, take over when the subject changes. They are not synonyms in the strict sense, but they do the same grammatical job.

Context decides everything. Oneself belongs to the general pronoun one and sounds formal. Nouns like self, selfhood, and identity talk about the idea of a person, and words like alone, solo, unaided, and independently only match the phrase “by oneself.”

To choose well, find the subject first. Then ask whether you mean a reflexive object, an emphasis, a sense of identity, or doing something alone or without help. That single step will point you to the right word.