assisted suicide

noun

plural assisted suicides
: the act of suicide carried out by someone with assistance from another person

Examples of assisted suicide in a Sentence

a doctor who has been involved in several assisted suicides an opponent of assisted suicide
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The practice of doctor assisted suicide is growing in the west. Karlyn Bowman, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 Other countries that have legalized assisted suicide include Australia, Belgium, Canada and parts of the United States, with regulations on who is eligible varying by jurisdiction. Brian Melley and Pan Pylas The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024 Both organizations advocate for the right to assisted suicide. Landon Mion, Fox News, 7 Oct. 2024 In 2002, the Netherlands legalised both assisted suicide and, in a world first, euthanasia. The Week, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for assisted suicide 

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assisted suicide was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near assisted suicide

Cite this Entry

“Assisted suicide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assisted%20suicide. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

assisted suicide

noun
variants also assisted death
: the act of suicide carried out by someone with assistance from another person
Surveys also show assisted suicides are taking place covertly, often without a doctor's help.Mark O'Keefe, The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)
especially : physician-assisted suicide
Six of the 15 patients who chose assisted suicide in the act's first year had to ask more than one doctor before finding a physician who would write a lethal prescription. Barry Siegel, The Los Angeles Times

Legal Definition

assisted suicide

noun
: suicide committed by someone with assistance from another person

More from Merriam-Webster on assisted suicide

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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