suicide
n. C / Un. the act of intentionally ending your own life. It is a very serious and sensitive topic that people usually discuss with care.
n. the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Often used in legal, medical, or sociological contexts to describe the deliberate termination of life.
The news report discussed the rise in teen suicide.
Mental health professionals work tirelessly to provide support and resources for suicide prevention in local communities.
The philosopher argued that the act of suicide represents a profound intersection of individual autonomy and social responsibility, challenging the ethical frameworks of the era.
First attested in Thomas Browne's Religio Medici (1643) in noun sense 1, ostensibly from New Latin suīcīdium, from suī (genitive reflexive pronoun) + -cīdium (“act of killing or murder”), but often believed to have originated in English before entering Latin. Displaced native Middle English seolf-cwale from Old English selfcwalu (literally “self-slaughter”), after which suicide may have been modelled, or calqued (compare manuscript). Noun sense 3 is perhaps by analogy with words like homicide, patricide (see -cide), or, although unlikely, from Medieval Latin suīcīda; see the Etymology section at suīcīdium.
Often used as the object of the verb 'commit', though many modern style guides prefer 'die by' to avoid criminal connotations.