suicidal ideation
noun
: the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one's own life : the act of considering or planning suicide
He had been hospitalized several times for depression and suicidal ideation: the previous summer he had checked himself into a hospital in Laramie.—
Melanie Thernstrom
Melanie ThernstromAlleviating gender dysphoria and aligning gender expression with identity through these treatments can lower stress, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and significantly lessen suicidal ideation.—Orion Rummler
Orion RummlerExamples of suicidal ideation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That is more than double the rate of suicidal ideation in the general population.
—Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 17 May 2026
Some of these stories center characters living with the pain of depression and suicidal ideation; others follow those left behind in its tragic wake.
—Rocky Callen, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Brown’s parole officer first notified police that the defendant had relapsed on crack cocaine and was expressing suicidal ideation on the morning of the shooting, prosecutors said.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2026
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Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 17 May 2026
Some of these stories center characters living with the pain of depression and suicidal ideation; others follow those left behind in its tragic wake.
—Rocky Callen, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Brown’s parole officer first notified police that the defendant had relapsed on crack cocaine and was expressing suicidal ideation on the morning of the shooting, prosecutors said.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suicidal ideation
Cite this Entry
“Suicidal ideation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicidal%20ideation. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
suicidal ideation
noun
: the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one's own life : the act of considering or planning suicide
Depression appears to be one of the strongest predictors of suicidal ideation but does not appear to distinguish those who have attempted suicide from those who have experienced suicidal ideation without attempts.—E. David Klonsky et al., Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
E. David Klonsky et al., Annual Review of Clinical PsychologyBurnout among medical students seems to be an important predictor of subsequent suicidal ideation even without symptoms of depression.—Liselotte N. Dyrbye et al., Annals of Internal Medicine
Liselotte N. Dyrbye et al., Annals of Internal MedicineLove words? Need even more definitions?
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