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Definition them in British English

them pronoun

pronoun
strong /ðem/ weak /ðəm/

Them can be used in the following ways:

as the object form of the pronoun ‘they’: I saw them.

after the verb ‘to be’: I’m sure it was them.

In spoken English it is normal to use object pronouns such as me, him, her, or them after ‘as’ or ‘than’: I can’t run as fast as them.Henry’s older than me. A subject pronoun such as I, he, she, or they is rarely used by itself after ‘as’ or ‘than’, except in very formal English: Henry is taller than I.

Object pronouns are also normally used after the verb ‘to be’ in spoken English: ‘Who’s there?’ ‘It’s me.’I knew it was him. Some people think it is more correct to use subject pronouns after ‘to be’, but this sounds very formal and old-fashioned: It is I.I knew it was he.

In writing, subject pronouns are more often used after the verb ‘to be’, especially if there is a following relative clause: It was he who first suggested the idea.

1

used for referring to a particular group of people or things when they have already been mentioned or when it is obvious which group you are referring to

Example

They've taken their families with them.

Example

Sykes stole the paintings and then tried to sell them.

Synonyms and related words
2

used instead of 'him or her', especially when you are referring back to a word such as 'everyone', 'someone', or 'anyone'

Example

Someone phoned, but I told them to call back later.

Synonyms and related words
Definition them in British English