the act of killing yourself
"it is a crime to commit suicide"
a person who kills himself intentionally
"The news report detailed the tragic story of a young man who took his own life after months of relentless depression."
Intentional killing of oneself.
"The tragic news report confirmed that the young man had taken his own life after years of struggling with depression."
In plain English: Suicide is when someone intentionally takes their own life.
"The police are investigating reports of a suicide near the bridge."
To kill oneself intentionally.
"After years of battling severe depression, he made the tragic decision to end his own life."
In plain English: To commit suicide is to intentionally take your own life.
"The stress from his failing business drove him to consider suicide."
Usage: Use this verb to describe the intentional act of ending one's own life, though it often appears in passive constructions or as part of phrases like "commit suicide." Avoid using it casually when discussing mental health struggles; instead, opt for terms like "attempted self-harm" if referring specifically to non-fatal incidents.
Relating to suicide.
"The hospital launched a new campaign focused on suicide prevention after noticing an increase in related calls."
In plain English: There is no adjective form of the word suicide, as it is only used as a noun to describe the act of taking one's own life.
"The suicide bomber attacked the crowded market square."
The word "suicide" first appeared in English in 1643, borrowed from New Latin where it combined the reflexive pronoun sui with a suffix meaning "act of killing." Although scholars believe this term may have originally been formed in English to describe self-slaughter before being adopted into Latin and then returned to English, it eventually replaced the native Old English phrase selfcwalu.