oneself

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the phrase "oneself" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to refer to the subject of the sentence in a reflexive manner, often emphasizing self-action or self-reference. Example: "To truly understand the concept, one must look within oneself."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It is democratically legitimate to want to protest – but it is also important to take oneself and one's vote seriously.

The Guardian - Opinion

The instinct, in these circumstances, is to brace oneself for the onslaught of unbearable Aussie swagger.

The Guardian - Sport

It's to make the case that this metadata paints a very revealing portrait of oneself".

The Guardian - Tech

Speaking to the conference, Geer described the removal of links to oneself as like moving to a new town or changing one's name: "a definition of privacy that turns on whether you do or do not retain the effective capacity to misrepresent yourself, a right which I will remind you is routinely granted but to those who have especially helped governmental causes [such as] witness protection".

The Guardian - Tech

I could see the danger of thinking of oneself in those categorical terms.

The Guardian

Classical liberals fought the earliest battles for gender equality (though not exclusively): the right to vote, to own property, and to own oneself in a marriage.

The Guardian - Opinion

Selfie – "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website" – has been named word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries editors, after the frequency of its usage increased by 17,000% over the past 12 months.

The Guardian - Books

The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, went further to argue that the sanctions were like "shooting oneself in the foot" because they inflict more harm on Europe than Russia.

The Guardian

If only it were possible to leave someone else's body to cryogenic science, instead of being limited to freezing oneself in the hope that medical advances could effect reanimation at some moment down the line.

The Guardian - Opinion

Five decades of show business have surely taught her the perils of taking oneself too seriously.

The Guardian

It's not a good thing to find oneself living by an outmoded code of conduct.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "oneself" when referring to a generic person or when the gender is unknown or irrelevant, providing a gender-neutral alternative to "himself" or "herself".

Common error

Avoid using "oneself" as a subject; it's a reflexive pronoun. Instead of saying "Oneself should strive for excellence", say "One should strive for excellence".

Linguistic Context

Oneself functions as a reflexive pronoun. It indicates that the action of the verb reflects back upon the subject. Ludwig AI confirms this is generally correct, showing various instances where it appropriately refers back to the subject of the sentence. Examples include bracing "oneself" or thinking of "oneself" in a certain way.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Formal & Business

28%

Science

24%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Oneself" is a reflexive pronoun used to refer back to the subject of a sentence, primarily when the subject is the pronoun "one" or when the gender is unspecified. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and frequently appears in news, formal business, and scientific writing. When using "oneself", ensure it correctly reflects the subject and avoid using it as the subject of the sentence itself. Alternatives like "yourself", "himself", or "herself" may be more appropriate depending on the context. This guide offers insights into its proper usage, common errors to avoid, and related phrases to enhance writing clarity and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Yourself

Shifts the focus to the person being addressed directly, instead of a general or third-person reference.

Himself

Replaces the gender-neutral "oneself" with a specific male pronoun.

Herself

Replaces the gender-neutral "oneself" with a specific female pronoun.

Itself

Refers to an inanimate object or animal acting upon itself.

Themselves

Shifts the reference to a plural subject acting upon the group.

One's own self

Adds emphasis and redundancy to the reflexive pronoun.

His/her own self

More specific in gender, clarifies ownership and returns the action to the subject.

Personally

Implies doing something by one's own agency, though not strictly reflexive.

On one's own

Highlights independence and self-reliance, replacing reflexive action.

By oneself

Emphasizes solitude or performing an action without assistance.

FAQs

How is "oneself" used in a sentence?

"Oneself" is a reflexive pronoun used when the subject and object of a verb are the same. For example, "One must believe in "oneself" to succeed."

Is it correct to use "oneself"?

Yes, "oneself" is grammatically correct and used to refer back to a generic "one" or when the gender is not specified. It's a formal alternative to "himself" or "herself".

When should I use "oneself" instead of "himself/herself"?

Use "oneself" when referring to a generic person (using "one" as the subject) or when the gender is unknown or irrelevant. "Himself" and "herself" are gender-specific.

What are common mistakes when using "oneself"?

A common mistake is using "oneself" as the subject of a sentence. "Oneself" is a reflexive pronoun and should only be used when the subject and object are the same. Instead, use "one" as the subject.