physician-assisted suicide
noun
: suicide by a patient facilitated by means (such as a drug prescription) or by information (such as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient's intent
Word History
First Known Use
1987, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
physician-assisted suicide
noun
: suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient's intent
Proponents of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide claim that the principle of respect for autonomy requires that patients be allowed to choose the manner of their death.
Robert I. Misbin, The New England Journal of Medicine
Robert I. Misbin, The New England Journal of Medicine Legal Definition
physician-assisted suicide
noun
: suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of the patient's intent
Note: In 2007, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. A few states have followed.
physician-assisted suicide
noun
as in assisted suicide
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- assisted suicide
- mercy killing
- euthanasia
- foul play
- murder
- homicide
- slaying
- manslaughter
- killing
- massacre
- slaughter
- chance-medley
- execution
- rubout
- butchery
- carnage
- bloodshed
- assassination
- destruction
- decimation
- blood
- parricide
- hit
- filicide
- fratricide
- regicide
- matricide
- uxoricide
- patricide
- hypoactivest
- hypoadrenalisms
- hypoadrenocorticisms
- Hypoaeolian mode
- hypoallergenic
- hypobasal
- hypobasidia
- hypobasidium
- hypobasidiums
- hypobatholithic
- hypobenthos
- hypobetalipoproteinemiae
- hypobetalipoproteinemias
- hypoblast
- hypoblasts
- hypobranchial
- hypobromite
- hypobromous acid
- hypocalcaemia
- hypocalcemia
- hypocalcemias
- hypocalcemic
- hypocapniae
- hypocapnias
- hypocarp