What is a proper gender-neutral form of himself or herself [duplicate]
Solution 1:
Singular they is a usage hallowed by time -- it's actually older than singular you -- and, since reflexive pronouns are inflected on both the pronoun root and the -self/-selves reflexive suffix (e.g, my[sg]
-self[sg]
vs our[pl]
-selves[pl]
), the correct reflexive for singular they is themself.
Dictionaries, by the way, are not reliable sources for grammar, just as grammars are not reliable sources for lexical meaning.
Solution 2:
The reflexive and emphatic pronoun is themselves. The OED has no entry for themself. An example of its use in the way you have in mind might be:
If a student needs to ask for permission to leave the campus during the week, they must do it themselves, and not ask a fellow student to do it on their behalf.