Singular they
Singular they is the use of
they, or its inflected forms, such as
them or
their, to refer to a single person or an antecedent that is singular in form. It typically occurs with an antecedent of indeterminate gender, as in sentences such as: ▪ "
Everyone returned to
their seats." ▪ "
Somebody left
their umbrella in the office. Would
they please collect it." ▪ "If
a person doesn't want to go on living,
they are often very difficult to help." ▪ "
The patient should be told at the outset how much
they will be required to pay." ▪ "But
a journalist should not be forced to reveal
their sources." The term may also be applied to similar use of derived words such as
themself or
themselves. A reason for its use is that English has no dedicated singular personal pronoun of indeterminate gender. In some cases, its use can be explained by notional agreement because words like "everyone", though singular in form, are plural in meaning.