People who commit suicide deliberately kill themselves because they do not want to continue living.
She tried to commit suicide on several occasions.
...a case of attempted suicide.
...a growing number of suicides in the community.
Synonyms: taking your own life, self-destruction, ending it all [informal], self-immolation More Synonyms of suicide
2. uncountable noun
You say that people commit suicide when they deliberately do something which ruins their career or position in society.
Quite a few have committed social suicide by writing their boring memoirs.
They say it would be political suicide for the party to abstain.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
The people involved in a suicide attack, mission, or bombing do not expect to survive.
According to the army, the teenager said he was on a 'suicide mission' for the movement.
...a suicide bomber.
suicide in British English
(ˈsuːɪˌsaɪd, ˈsjuː-)
noun
1.
the act or an instance of killing oneself intentionally
2.
the self-inflicted ruin of one's own prospects or interests
a merger would be financial suicide
3.
a person who kills himself or herself intentionally
4. (modifier)
reckless; extremely dangerous
a suicide mission
5. (modifier)
(of an action) undertaken or (of a person) undertaking an action in the knowledge that it will result in the death of the person performing it in order that maximum damage may be inflicted on an enemy
a suicide attack
suicide bomber
Word origin
C17: from New Latin suīcīdium, from Latin suī of oneself + -cīdium, from caedere to kill
suicide in American English
(ˈsuəˌsaɪd)
noun
1.
the act of killing oneself intentionally
2.
ruin of one's interests or prospects through one's own actions, policies, etc.
3.
a person who commits suicide
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈsuiˌcided or ˈsuiˌciding
4. Rare
to commit suicide
Word origin
L sui, of oneself (< IE *sewe-, refl. pron. < base *se-, apart > OE swæs, own) + -cide
Examples of 'suicide' in a sentence
suicide
We showed it to people and they confirmed it was the suicide case.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Today they live in fear and say a number of people have committed suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Yet refusing to help your boss is akin to career suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The law on assisted suicide acts as a safeguard for disabled people.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You are about to commit political suicide.
The Sun (2013)
The inquest on this one will read suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Suicide attacks you can only carry out once.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
One committed suicide and he divorced another.
The Sun (2010)
She almost died from a stomach ulcer and at one point wanted to commit suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Now there are fears that the number of suicide cases could soar.
The Sun (2009)
In many cases police reported that they were attempting to stop distressed people committing suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They are an opportunity for career suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
She could not cope with the constant demand for repayments and attempted suicide.
The Sun (2010)
Suicide is an act of desperation by a mind at the end of its tether.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Trying to tax them off the road would be political suicide.
The Sun (2007)
Police said suicide was one line of inquiry.
The Sun (2013)
But we need to try to see things from the point of view of a young person drawn to suicide.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Because she was a nurse, she had seen a number of people over the years who had survived suicide attempts.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
A coroner has been asked to decide whether his death was an accident, suicide or unlawful killing.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
A North Staffordshire coroner recorded a verdict of suicide and unlawful killing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
suicide
British English: suicide /ˈsuːɪˌsaɪd; ˈsjuː-/ NOUN
People who commit suicide deliberately kill themselves.
...a reduction in the number of suicides.
American English: suicide
Arabic: يَنْتَحِرُ
Brazilian Portuguese: suicídio
Chinese: 自杀
Croatian: samoubojstvo
Czech: sebevražda
Danish: selvmord
Dutch: zelfmoord
European Spanish: suicidio
Finnish: itsemurha
French: suicide
German: Selbstmord
Greek: αυτοκτονία
Italian: suicidio
Japanese: 自殺
Korean: 자살
Norwegian: selvmord
Polish: samobójstwo
European Portuguese: suicídio
Romanian: suicid
Russian: самоубийство
Latin American Spanish: suicidio
Swedish: självmord
Thai: การฆ่าตัวตาย
Turkish: intihar
Ukrainian: самогубство
Vietnamese: sự tự vẫn
All related terms of 'suicide'
suicide bid
an attempt to kill oneself
suicide note
A suicide note is a note written by someone who intends to kill themselves saying that this is what they are going to do and sometimes explaining why.
suicide pact
A suicide pact is an arrangement that two or more people make to kill themselves at the same time and usually in the same place.
suicide vest
A suicide vest is a jacket with explosives attached to it, worn by a terrorist in order to carry out a bomb attack, knowing that he or she will be killed in the explosion .
suicide watch
a round-the-clock watch by warders on a prisoner considered to be in danger of harming him- or herself
suicide attack
a terrorist attack which someone undertakes knowing that he or she will die in the attack
suicide attempt
an attempt to kill oneself
suicide bomber
A suicide bomber is a terrorist who carries out a bomb attack, knowing that he or she will be killed in the explosion.
suicide bombing
a terrorist bomb attack in which the perpetrator knows that he or she will be killed in the explosion
assisted suicide
suicide committed with the assistance of a physician by a person terminally ill or in unmanageable pain
homicide bomber
a terrorist who carries out a bomb attack, knowing that he or she will be killed in the explosion