What does suicide mean?
Suicide is the deliberate act of killing oneself. As a noun, it names the act itself, while as a verb it means to kill oneself deliberately. The word also has a figurative sense meaning to destroy or ruin oneself, as in references to ruining a career or project. Suicide is discussed as a serious public-health and social issue, and language concerning it is often deliberately sensitive because the subject concerns self-inflicted death and the distress of people affected by it. The term is used in legal, medical, journalistic, educational, and academic contexts. In ordinary conversation, it may sound direct or blunt, so tact and sensitivity matter. The historical word also shows how English borrows specialized terminology from Latin: sui means “self,” and caedere means “to kill.” The resulting term distinguishes intentional self-killing from accidental death and has both clinical and broader metaphorical uses.
The deliberate act of killing oneself; more figuratively, the act of destroying or ruining oneself.
"The investigation found that the death was not suicide."
The figurative sense is common in journalism and general discussion but should be distinguished clearly from the literal meaning.
To kill oneself deliberately; figuratively, to destroy or ruin oneself.
"In corporate slang, the team decided to suicide the project rather than continue funding it."
The verb is substantially less common than the noun, and its figurative use is chiefly informal or idiomatic.
The regular plural is used when referring to separate deaths or acts of self-killing, especially in legal, journalistic, or historical discussion.
"The archive documents several suicides during the period."
Latin sui, meaning “self,” and caedere, meaning “to kill,” combine in a word that also gave English “suicidal.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does suicide come from?
The English word entered use in the early 17th century through French, ultimately deriving from the Latin suicidium. Latin suicide combines sui, meaning “oneself” or “self,” with caedere, meaning “to kill.” Related English words include “suicidal” and “suicidally,” while “homicide” and “herbicide” share the Latin killing element caedere.
Related word forms
How suicide is actually used
The term is standard in legal, medical, journalistic, educational, and academic contexts. Because it concerns a sensitive and often distressing subject, its use in casual conversation can sound blunt or unsympathetic. The figurative verb is uncommon and may be perceived as insensitive when applied to a person rather than a project, career, or venture.
Easily confused with suicide
“Suicide” names an act or functions as a verb, while “suicidal” describes someone or something marked by a wish or tendency to die by suicide.