mīˈself, məˈ-, -eu̇f pronoun
Etymology: Middle English, alteration (influenced by my & herself ) of meself, from Old English mē selfum & mē selfne, dative & accusative respectively of ic self I myself — more at i , me , self
1. : that identical one that is I : the self that belongs to me : the self that is mine — used (1) reflexively as object of a preposition or direct or indirect object of a verb
I'm doing it solely for myself
busying myself only with what concerns me
I'm going to get myself a new suit
(2) for emphasis in apposition with I or who
I myself will go
I told him so myself
I can sympathize with you, I who have myself had to go through the same thing
(3) for emphasis instead of nonreflexive me as object of a preposition or direct or indirect object of a verb
my income supports my wife and myself
(4) for emphasis instead of I or instead of I myself as predicate nominative
there is only one that wants to do it and that's myself
or in comparisons after than or as
no one knows more about it than myself
or as part of a compound subject
my brother and myself will be glad to come
or archaically or dialectally as only subject of a verb
myself when young did eagerly frequent Doctor and Saint — Edward FitzGerald
(5) in absolute constructions
myself without a care in the world, I'll do it whenever I choose
2. : my normal, healthy, or sane condition
the bewilderment passed quickly and I again came to myself
: my normal, healthy, or sane self
I had been somewhat unwell, but that day I was once more myself