suicide

1 of 3

noun

sui·​cide ˈsü-ə-ˌsīd 

plural suicides

1

a

: the act or an instance of ending one's own life voluntarily and intentionally

had thoughts of suicide

die by suicide = commit suicide

b

: ruin of one's own interests

political suicide

c

: apoptosis

cell suicide

2

: someone who dies by or attempts suicide

suicide

2 of 3

adjective

: of or relating to suicide

especially : being or performing a deliberate act resulting in the voluntary death of the person who does it

a suicide mission

a suicide bomber

suicide

3 of 3

verb

suicided; suiciding; suicides

intransitive + transitive

: to die by suicide : to kill (oneself) voluntarily and intentionally

Grieving relatives might be left feeling shamed, isolated or unsupported by strangers or acquaintances who assumed that the loved one had "suicided."

—Rachel E. Gross

Still, [asylum seeker Navaratnam] Kamalthas wondered each day if he made the right choice. … "I think about suiciding myself," Kamalthas said from jail.

—The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

Synonyms

Noun

• self-destruction
• self-murder
• self-slaughter

Examples of suicide in a Sentence

Noun

She had thoughts of suicide.

Authorities have officially ruled the death a suicide.

There were two suicides last year at the university.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin sui (genitive) of oneself + English -cide; akin to Old English & Old High German sīn his, Latin suus one's own, sed, se without, Sanskrit sva oneself, one's own

First Known Use

Noun

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1765, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1818, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing suicide

• anti-suicide
• assisted suicide
• attempt suicide
• cell suicide
• cellular suicide
• commit suicide
• die by suicide
• physician-assisted suicide
• suicide bomb
• suicide bomber
• suicide note
• suicide pact
• suicide squeeze

Kids Definition

suicide

noun

sui·​cide

ˈsü-ə-ˌsīd

1

a

: the act of killing oneself purposely

b

: ruin of one's own interests

risking political suicide

2

: a person who commits or attempts suicide

suicidal

ˌsü-ə-ˈsīd-ᵊl

adjective

suicide adjective

Medical Definition

suicide

1 of 2 noun

sui·​cide ˈsü-ə-ˌsīd 

1

: the act or an instance of ending one's own life voluntarily and intentionally

2

: one that carries out or attempts to carry out the act of suicide

suicide

2 of 2 verb

suicided; suiciding; suicides

intransitive verb

: to die by suicide

transitive verb

: to put (oneself) to death