Definition and meaning of English word "itself"
itself
/ɪtˈsɛlf/
Meaning
Nounit; A thing as the object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject.
How to use
The word 'itself' is typically used in formal or reflexive contexts, often to emphasize the subject of a sentence. A common learner mistake is to confuse 'itself' with 'it's', which is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. For instance, 'The company is focusing on itself' is correct, whereas 'The company is focusing on it's' is incorrect.
🇬🇧 English
itself
Example
The book is interesting itself.
The city is beautiful itself.
Your personal vocabulary
🦊 Use this word in a live AI conversationCommon phrases
- by itself— by itself
- in itself— in itself
- of itself— of itself
This concept in other languages
Frequency rank: #856 in English
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the English word "itself" mean?▼
The English word "itself" means "itself" in English.
How do you pronounce the English word "itself"?▼
You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "itself" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.
Can I see an example sentence with "itself"?▼
Yes, here is a practical example: "Itself means the thing itself, not something else." (which translates as "itself").
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