in and of itself
By itself, without considering any other factors. Yes, in and of itself, your statement isn’t a problem. But you have to understand how it sounded in the context of the conversation.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
in and of itself
considering it alone. The idea in and of itself is not bad, but the side issues introduce many difficulties. Her action, in and of itself, caused us no problem.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
in and of itself
Intrinsically, considered alone. For example, In and of itself the plan might work, but I doubt that it will be approved. It is also put simply as in itself, as in This account may be true in itself. [First half of 1600s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
- kindness
- simplicity
- be (something) itself
- be patience, honesty, simplicity, etc. itself
- honesty
- blow itself out
- by itself
- engorge
- engorge itself on (someone or something)
- engorge on
Have you ever heard the phrase “in and of itself”? If so, doesn’t It sound strange? Did you check out its meaning and how it originated? This article sheds light on all of these, giving examples of how they are used in sentences.
What Does “In and of Itself” Mean?
“In and of itself” is an idiom which means “without considering anything else” or that something is as it is without or despite anything else. It is used to describe a circumstance, an object, or an individual, and it means something has been considered by itself without giving thought to extra factors.
The idiom “in and of itself” has an uncertain origin. However, the best hypothesis of its origin is that “it originated hundreds of years ago from the Latin phrase “per se” (which means “in itself” or “by itself” or “without anyone else” when translated to English).
It is used to emphasize that a particular thing talked about is enough or true without considering anything else.
Below are examples to help grasp what the above statement meant;
- Having a child is, in and of itself, a blessing.
- Having you amidst us is, in and of itself, a great honor.
In the former,” in and of itself” emphasized the fact that “having a child” is a blessing.
The idiom” in and of itself” can be separated into “in itself” and “of itself”. The separated parts can be used in sentences without changing its meaning. What do I mean by this? We will check this later on in this article.
The word “itselves” is used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to someone or something previously mentioned as the subject of the clause.
For example;
- The points we got for coming in first and second place in both the quiz and debate competition were, in and of themselves, enough for our team to get a trophy.
Here, it could be seen that the subject “points” Is in the plural form. Therefore, the subject also has to be in the plural form, which is “themselves”.
How To Use “In and of Itself” In a Sentence.
The idiom “in and of itself” can be used in a sentence as a whole or divided into “in itself” or “of itself” without changing its meaning. This is to refer to the intrinsic nature of something or to judge something out of its context.
It can also be used to emphasize the importance of considering something in its context without reference to anything else.
The following are examples of how to use “in and of itself” in a sentence.
- The tea was good in and of itself. But if you drink tea with bread or biscuits, it’s much better.
- This drum is in itself an insult to anyone who purchases it.
- Self-employment is not good or bad in itself.
- In itself, the decision might not have been forceful, but it could have had disastrous consequences.
- Of itself, the idea of recycling waste materials was neither new nor original.
- In and of itself, the dress looks beautiful, but I think you should consider adding accessories to it.
In and of Itself – Synonyms
The usage of the phrase “in and of itself” in sentences is gradually becoming rare, and this is because it sounds a little bit complex and difficult for easy assimilation. This has led to the usage of various synonyms, which are widely accepted and preferred.
Below are examples of synonyms of the phrase “in and of itself”;
- In itself
- On its own
- Intrinsically
- Inherently
- By itself
Final Thoughts
The phrase “in and of itself,” which is an idiomatic expression, is used to refer to the intrinsic nature of something. It can also be used to portray an object, article, or situation to depict something that has been considered alone without a thought to anything else.
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I would challenge the premise of the question, as well as parts of the proferred answers.
Taken separately, the elements of “in and of itself” can be pictured as having their meanings borrowed from examples like the following:
-
The clock stopped of its own accord. (vs. of itself)
-
The work was complete in some respects. (vs. complete in itself; that is, did not require or depend on additions).
The combination of the two seems merely to serve as intensifier, as in the similar stock phrase, part and parcel.
As for etymology, my guess is that the phrase originated in a calque from the Latin per se, which means the same thing. For a long time English grammarians loved to emulate Latin, and in itself, of itself, or by itself may have been popularized as a sort of direct translation. Though intrinsically may be simpler and more elegant and easier to pronounce to modern English ears than the stuffy sounding in and of itself, there is surely no simper way of saying per se in Latin than per se. This may explain the longevity of in and of itself up to the time when the well-educated stopped automatically learning Latin as part of their education.
Finally, contrary to @bye,
The thing, in and of itself, . . .
has quite a different meaning than
The thing qua thing . . .
Qua means “in the role of” or “under the aspect of”, as in this quote from dictionary.com:
This might be thought a decisive objection to a federal judge’s writing about this subject even if the judge writes qua academic rather than qua judge.
―Richard A. Posner, An Affair of State
To take an “X qua X” example, one might say,
A Clockwork Orange works much better as a book qua storyline-for-a-movie than as a book qua book.
Or, as someone else in this forum quoted,
Bobby was the first pig I had met qua pig, not qua pork.
Finally, to truly come full circle, per se has seemed to slip from its original meaning of in itself / by itself (that is, separated from its context) and now just flabbily refers to a kind of lack of clarity. “I don’t agree with him per se” is now used to mean “I don’t especially agree with him, but I don’t especially disagree either.” The effect of this is to undermine the usefulness of the original phrase. Thus, the sentence “Guns are not bad per se; it’s what people do with them that is” can now be parsed two ways. It can either mean that guns are not intrinsically bad, or that they are not especially bad. As far as I can tell, there is no way to force the first meaning with falling back to some subtitute like intrinsically, or—you guessed it—in and of themselves.
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- More About In And Of Itself
Intrinsically, considered alone. For example, In and of itself the plan might work, but I doubt that it will be approved. It is also put simply as in itself, as in This account may be true in itself. [First half of 1600s]
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Words nearby in and of itself
inalterable, in a manner of speaking, inamorata, inamorato, in-and-in, in and of itself, in-and-out, in-and-out bond, in-and-outer, inane, inanga
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
MORE ABOUT IN AND OF ITSELF
What does in and of itself mean?
In and of itself is another way of saying “on its own” or “by its very nature.” For example, The final book in the series is, in and of itself, a great work of art.
The phrase is used for emphasis. It can be used to judge something out of its context or to emphasize the importance of considering something in its context.
Where does in and of itself come from?
You might note that in and of itself seems redundant. Don’t in itself and of itself mean the same thing? In a word, yes. But there is a good reason for this repetition.
First, some history. The construction of itself meaning “of its own accord, by its own nature” can be found in Old English. The construction in itself is recorded by the 1200s. In and of itself combines these two old phrases.
Grammar power:
- in and of itself is a prepositional phrase
- itself is the reflexive pronoun of it
We can find in and of itself recorded as a fixed expression by the late 1600s. A lot of early examples of the phrase appear in The Living Temple, a theological text written by English Puritan John Howe in 1675. At one point, in a consideration of the nature of God, he writes:
… there is such a Being as is eternal, uncaused, &tc., having the power of action in and of itself.
Howe, here, is talking about the fact that this divine being has this power intrinsically—by its own nature. In and of itself. Because it’s God.
So, in and of itself is repetitive, but that makes it emphatic. Repetition is commonly used to create emphasis in English. Consider the phrase each and every, or a statement like I’m so, so happy for you!
Referring to something in and of itself can be more forceful than just the phrase in itself or of itself on its own.
How is in and of itself used in real life?
In and of itself is a widely used phrase. It appears everywhere from everyday conversations to formal academic writing.
We tend to use in and of itself in two ways:
- To communicate the idea: “Let’s just think about this thing on its own without getting into the surrounding context.” In this case, in and of itself highlights the nature and quality of a thing just on its own terms.
- For instance: This award is—in and of itself—an honor, even without the money that comes with it.
Mandy Moore celebrates her first #Emmy nomination: «The fact that the show is still getting acknowledged and in this conversation at all is the craziest, most incredible accolade in and of itself» pic.twitter.com/EtYdGyHsvY
— Variety (@Variety) August 14, 2019
BREAKING: @MmusiMaimane reveals a March 2014 letter from current Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize, thanking #Bosasa for a R3 million donation to the ANC.
«I must remind you that being in possession of money from criminal proceeds is in and of itself a crime!»#RamaphosaQandA pic.twitter.com/GetHUKPTPw
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) August 22, 2019
- Or, to communicate the idea: “We can’t just think about this thing on its own because there are other factors at play.” Here, in and of itself is drawing attention to the importance of the thing in its real-world context.
- This use of in and of itself is often followed by words like but or however.
- For example: The medicine isn’t dangerous in and of itself, but, when taken with grapefruit, it can be deadly.
«our results support that being LGBTQ in and of itself is not leading to mental health and suicide. Rather, LGBTQ youth are at a higher risk because they face harmful rejection and discrimination from friends, families, and society» via @afspnational 👏 https://t.co/Rc99cYYJ0r
— The Trevor Project (@TrevorProject) August 16, 2019
Not necessarily inconsistent in and of itself. But not terribly coherent with saying it was a million to one last month. https://t.co/Jv9ma3YkeR
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) August 25, 2019
If you want to use in and of itself but are unsure, consider whether you can substitute the clunkier on its own and ignoring everything else. If so, you can probably use in and of itself.
Last Update: Jan 03, 2023
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Asked by: Nya Gerlach
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In and of itself is another way of saying “on its own” or “by its very nature.” For example, The final book in the series is, in and of itself, a great work of art. The phrase is used for emphasis.
Is in and of itself proper English?
“In and of itself” is one of those phrases like “each and every” and “part and parcel” that say the same thing twice. Usually it is enough to say “in itself.” I wouldn’t go so far as to condemn the expression altogether. Sometimes a speaker might want to use it as a form of emphasis.
What does an end in and of itself mean?
A purpose or goal desired for its own sake (rather than to attain something else). For example, For me, writing books is an end in itself; they don’t really make that much money. This expression employs the noun end in the sense of “final cause or purpose,” a usage dating from the early 1500s.
Is itself or in itself?
1 Answer. by itself means «alone, unaccompanied». in itself means «not needing other things». in and of itself means «when considered in isolation».
Is in itself correct grammar?
Grammar power:
in and of itself is a prepositional phrase. itself is the reflexive pronoun of it.
16 related questions found
How do you use in and itself in a sentence?
Example sentences
- — I love the balcony in and of itself so I’ve decided to rent the apartment.
- — Coming to our wedding from Europe was, in and of itself, such a generous gift.
- — Failing one grade isn’t in and of itself enough to put you on academic probation—provided you did well in your other classes.
What is an end in philosophy?
«end, ‘purpose’, or ‘goal'») is a term used by philosopher Aristotle to refer to the full potential or inherent purpose or objective of a person or thing, similar to the notion of an ‘end goal’ or ‘raison d’être’. Moreover, it can be understood as the «supreme end of man’s endeavour».
What is a means to an end?
Definition of a means to an end
: something done only to produce a desired result For her, marrying a rich man was just a means to an end. All she really cared about was money.
Is art an end in itself?
Modest Mussorgsky Quotes. Art is not an end in itself, but a means of addressing humanity.
What can I use instead of itself?
synonyms for in itself
- alone.
- as such.
- by and of itself.
- fundamentally.
- independently.
- singularly.
- solely.
- virtually.
When something happens on its own?
If something happens independently, it happens totally on its own: there was no help from anyone or anything else. To be independent is to be on your own, making your own decisions and doing what you want to do.
What does Per say mean?
Per se is a Latin phrase literally meaning “by itself.” It has the sense of “intrinsically,” or “in and of itself.” In everyday speech, it’s commonly used to distinguish between two related ideas, as in, “He’s not a sports fan per se, but he likes going to basketball games.”
What is good in and itself?
That which is good without being so as a means to some other good, or only dependently upon some other good. Kant held that the only thing good in itself was a good will. See also summum bonum.
What is very nature?
If you say that something has a particular characteristic by its nature or by its very nature, you mean that things of that type always have that characteristic. Peacekeeping, by its nature, makes pre-planning difficult.
What is the difference of in and of?
If «in» means inside a real place(meaning «postion»?) and «of» is a verb which takes an object(meaning possessive) then how to understand this one «The dining room IN our school is very large.» Can we rewrite it as «The dining room OF our school is very large.»?
Is that means not an end?
An «end» or «end in itself» is the end result, the ultimate goal, the final conclusion. A «means to an end», therefore, is a way of getting to a given goal. … A related expression is «The ends justify the means.» This phrase is used when the end result justifies whatever action was used to get there.
Do the ends justify the means?
Definition of the end justifies the means
—used to say that a desired result is so good or important that any method, even a morally bad one, may be used to achieve it They believe that the end justifies the means and will do anything to get their candidate elected.
Who said that the end justifies the means?
3. «The ends justify the means.» – Niccolò Machiavelli.
What is an example of kantianism?
People have a duty to do the right thing, even if it produces a bad result. So, for example, the philosopher Kant thought that it would be wrong to tell a lie in order to save a friend from a murderer. … So a person is doing something good if they are doing a morally right action.
What Utilitarianism means?
Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the betterment of society as a whole.
What is Kant’s end principle?
The word «end» in this phrase has the same meaning as in the phrase «means to an end». The philosopher Immanuel Kant said that rational human beings should be treated as an end in themselves and not as a means to something else. The fact that we are human has value in itself.
How do you use it and it’s in a sentence?
«Its» refers to the possessive form of the pronoun «it.» For example, when referring to a pair of shoes, you might say, «That’s not its box.» Meanwhile, «it’s» is the contraction for the words «it is» or «it has.» For example, «It’s (it is) going to be a fabulous night» or «It’s (it has) been a fabulous night.»
What type of word is itself?
Itself is a reflexive pronoun, being the reflexive form of it.
What word means on its own?
separate; free-standing; on its own; isolated; apart; solo; unique; exquisite; special; exclusive; sole; incomparable; inimitable; unparalleled; the one and only; once in a life time; one and only; particular.