suicide

1 of 3

noun

sui·​cide ˈsü-ə-ˌsīd How to pronounce suicide (audio)
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)

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of suicide was in 1643

Dictionary Entries Near suicide

Cite this Entry

“Suicide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicide. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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 How to pronounce suicide (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on suicide

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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