suicidal ideation

noun

: the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one's own life : the act of considering or planning suicide
He had been hospitalized several times for depression and suicidal ideation: the previous summer he had checked himself into a hospital in Laramie.Melanie Thernstrom
Alleviating gender dysphoria and aligning gender expression with identity through these treatments can lower stress, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and significantly lessen suicidal ideation.Orion Rummler

Examples of suicidal ideation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, not just because of the malnutrition involved, but because it’s often clustered with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Charlotte Alter, Time, 18 June 2025 Love Is Blind alum Marshall Glaze is opening up about his mental health struggle over the past year that led him to suicidal ideation. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 June 2025 On a personal level, attorneys may suffer from strained relationships, substance abuse and even suicidal ideation. Raquel Gomes, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 Recent data show that Gen Z is, by some measures, the loneliest generation in the United States, and that rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation on university campuses are at a peak. Cornelia Powers, The Atlantic, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for suicidal ideation

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of suicidal ideation was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Suicidal ideation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicidal%20ideation. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

suicidal ideation

noun
: the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one's own life : the act of considering or planning suicide
Depression appears to be one of the strongest predictors of suicidal ideation but does not appear to distinguish those who have attempted suicide from those who have experienced suicidal ideation without attempts.E. David Klonsky et al., Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
Burnout among medical students seems to be an important predictor of subsequent suicidal ideation even without symptoms of depression.Liselotte N. Dyrbye et al., Annals of Internal Medicine
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