by itself vs in itself

Both 'by itself' and 'in itself' are correct phrases, but they are used in different contexts. 'By itself' is used to indicate that something is alone or without help, while 'in itself' is used to emphasize that something has a particular quality independently of other factors.

Last updated: March 22, 2024 • 1825 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"by itself"

The phrase 'by itself' is used to indicate that something is alone or without help. It emphasizes the independent nature of the subject.

Examples:

The book is interesting by itself.
The painting stands out by itself in the gallery.
The toy car can move by itself.
The plant grew by itself in the garden.
The problem solved itself by itself.

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This fantastic news didn't happen by itself.
The submission of an export declaration by itself does not give any right to perform exports.
The market cannot achieve the necessary transformation away from oil by itself.
I suppose it crawled under your bed all by itself.
It can't just get there by itself.
A sword just doesn't get there by itself.
The poncho by itself is fine.
It's like that door closed by itself.
Even by itself it's worth quite a lot.
It has not buried by itself.
Berlin, 1939, a flower cart took off by itself.
My demo station don't cook by itself.
It didn't get there by itself.
My demo station don't cook by itself.
And there's this scene, it moves around all by itself.
The spa will generate business all by itself.
No, it's far better just by itself.
I'm building a car that drives by itself.
Ben, let the car drive by itself.
'Cause there's a strap by itself.

Alternatives:

alone
on its own
independently
by its own
singly

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"in itself"

The phrase 'in itself' is used to emphasize that something has a particular quality independently of other factors. It highlights the inherent nature of the subject.

Examples:

The movie, in itself, is a masterpiece.
The idea, in itself, is not bad.
The dish, in itself, is delicious.
The concept, in itself, is innovative.
The argument, in itself, is strong.

Show examples from the web [+]

This conclusion is in itself nothing new.
Maybe that constitutes a statement in itself.
Salmonella in itself is one problem.
A process carried out by computer has no technical effect in itself.
Modal shift is no goal in itself.
Winning is a victory in itself.
That tells a story in itself.
Death in itself can even be good, it frees one from worries.
Which is a clue in itself.
And that in itself is not extraordinary.
Now a block of limestone, in itself, isn't particularly that interesting.
Correlation in itself doesn't prove causality.
Arrest in itself is not proof of guilt.
Competition is not bad in itself.
This is an achievement in itself.
Information concerning the coastline is in itself insufficient.
That is in itself something positive.
This in itself constitutes a valuable contribution to agricultural policy.
Such explanations should not in itself constitute a personal recommendation.
Design of user instructions is an HMI issue in itself.

Alternatives:

intrinsically
essentially
fundamentally
inherently
by its very nature

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by itself vs in itself

"by itself"

"in itself"

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