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
Alleviating 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

Examples of suicidal ideation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Zac and Jen join the stage, and Jen details her prenatal depression and suicidal ideation. Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 1 July 2025 At the time, Fogarty had just launched her podcast A Certain Age, and was beginning to hear echoes of her experience from guests and listeners: rage, sleep loss, disconnection, depression, even suicidal ideation. Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 27 June 2025 Research has shown this population experiences significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025 TBIs are caused by a sudden blow or jolt to the head and are associated with suicidal ideation and major depressive disorder. Amber X. Chen, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for suicidal ideation

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of suicidal ideation was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Suicidal ideation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicidal%20ideation. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Medical 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
Burnout 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
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