Definition

Verb: * To intentionally end one's own life.

Usage

• This verb phrase is used to describe the act of a person intentionally causing their own death.
• It is a formal and direct term, often used in legal, medical, journalistic, and academic contexts.
• Important Note: When discussing this topic, many style guides and mental health organizations recommend using more sensitive and precise language, such as "died by suicide," to reduce stigma and avoid implying crime or sin. The phrase "commit suicide" is increasingly considered outdated and potentially harmful due to the historical association of the word "commit" with crimes or sins.

Examples

• The report confirmed the man had committed suicide.
• Statistics on the number of people who commit suicide are collected annually.
• She was deeply depressed and tragically committed suicide.

Advanced Usage

• The term is typically used in the past tense ("committed suicide") to report a completed act.
• It is less commonly used in the present or future tense to describe the act in a general or hypothetical sense.

Variants and Related Words

• Suicide (n): The act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself.
  • He was treated for attempted suicide.
• Suicidal (adj): Having, relating to, or suggestive of a tendency to commit suicide.
  • She was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
• Die by suicide (v phrase): A modern, preferred alternative phrase that focuses on the death rather than the action, avoiding the connotations of "commit."
  • He died by suicide last year.
• Take one's own life (idiom): A common euphemism for committing suicide.
  • She took her own life.

Synonyms

• Kill oneself
• Take one's own life
• Die by suicide

Related Idioms

• To take one's own life: To commit suicide.
  • He took his own life after a long battle with illness.

Verb

1. kill oneself
   • the terminally ill patient committed suicide