they

A lot has been written about the humble pronoun ‘they’ in the last few years, particularly as a gender neutral (singular) pronoun.

While traditionally 'they' as a pronoun was reserved solely for plural nouns, style guides and dictionaries worldwide have come to acknowledge its use in the singular form.

This entry summarises the basics. For more on the plural form and pronouns in general, please see our Pronouns entry.

Singular use

Use the singular 'they' to be gender-neutral

We have sent your question to the relevant manager. They will respond within 24 hours.

The singular ‘they’ has been in use for years in our spoken language, but it’s now increasingly accepted in written English as well. You can use it to replace the gendered pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’ when:

you want to be inclusive
a person has given it as their pronoun
you don’t know or can’t specify a person’s gender.

Please ask your director for their approval. They can contact me to learn more.

Reflexive use

Use ‘themself’, just as you would ‘himself’ or ‘herself’

Anyone who usually finishes work at 4 pm can excuse themself from the meeting.

If you need the singular reflexive form, you can use ‘themself’ rather than the plural ‘themselves’.

It’s safe to ignore your word processor in this case if it highlights this as an incorrect spelling.

A defendant may represent themself in court but we don’t advise it.