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Suicide
Also written: Suicidal, Died by suicide, Committed suicide
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At a glance
Source-by-source
“Avoid using "committed suicide" except in direct quotations from authorities. Alternate phrases include "killed himself," "took her own life" or "died by suicide." The verb "commit" with "suicide" can imply a criminal act. … Do not refer to an "unsuccessful suicide attempt."”
NCDJ endorses the Associated Press style, which treats "committed suicide" as implying a criminal act and steers to neutral phrasing such as "died by suicide." It also rejects "unsuccessful suicide attempt" in favor of "attempted suicide."
“In reporting, choose accurate, neutral terms such as "died by suicide." The familiar usage "committed suicide" is stigmatizing because it is rooted in a time when suicide was illegal … Avoid "committed suicide" except in direct quotes.”
GCJT frames suicide as a complex public-health phenomenon, cautions against single-cause attribution and speculation, and addresses suicide contagion — advising short, factual coverage and avoiding language like "suicide epidemic."
“Avoid using the phrase "commits suicide," which suggests criminal activity. Instead use non-stigmatizing language like "took his own life" or "died by suicide."”
The Diversity Style Guide flags "commits suicide" as suggesting criminal activity and notes the suicide-contagion risk in media reporting. It treats "committed," "succeeded," and "failed" as inaccurate, recommending "died by suicide," "took his life," or "killed herself."
“"Commit" implies crime or sin. Do not describe suicide attempts as "successful," "unsuccessful," or "failed." Instead, say "survived a suicide attempt"…”
APA is the source that adds the moral-religious register the others omit: it objects to "commit" not only for the criminal-law echo the journalism guides cite but because it implies sin. It also stays at the word-substitution level rather than extending into reporting practice, and contributes the survivor-centered alternative "survived a suicide attempt" for non-fatal attempts.
“Use "died by suicide" or "killed themself" instead of "committed suicide," except in quotations. Do not describe attempts as successful or unsuccessful.”
NLGJA advises approaching suicide with care and framing it as a preventable public-health concern rather than a moral failing. When covering LGBTQ+ communities, it asks writers to acknowledge disproportionate risk through minority stress and systemic inequity rather than individual blame.
Audience notes
- Journalists and editors
- the noun "suicide" is the accurate, neutral word — the correction is to the verb phrasing. Use "died by suicide," "killed himself," or "took her own life" rather than "committed suicide," and "attempted suicide" or "survived a suicide attempt" rather than "failed," "unsuccessful," "successful," or "completed." Keep "committed suicide" only inside a direct quotation.
- Reporting safety
- several sources go beyond word choice to coverage practice — avoid placing "suicide" in headlines, detailing method or location, attributing a single cause, or using "suicide epidemic." GCJT, DSG, and NLGJA flag suicide-contagion risk and advise covering suicide only when there is clear news value.
- LGBTQ+ contexts
- NLGJA asks writers to acknowledge disproportionately higher risk through minority stress and systemic inequity rather than framing it as individual failing or moral weakness.
- Advocates and internal comms
- the same verb correction applies outside journalism. "Died by suicide" and "survived a suicide attempt" carry the public-health framing these guides favor; "committed" carries the older criminal-act connotation.
Synthesis
The sources reach near-total consensus, and it rests on a distinction: the word “suicide” is fine, but a cluster of phrasings around it is not. Every kept entry — NCDJ, the Diversity Style Guide, NLGJA, GCJT, and APA — corrects “committed suicide” and the “failed / successful / completed” framing of attempts. None recommends avoiding the term itself, which is why this page is “use-with-care” rather than “avoid.”
The shared reasoning is that “commit” carries a criminal (and, for APA, a moral or religious) connotation that traces back to when suicide was illegal — GCJT and NCDJ both name that history directly. The preferred constructions are consistent across all five: “died by suicide,” “killed himself / herself / themself,” “took their own life,” and, for non-fatal attempts, “attempted suicide” or “survived a suicide attempt.” The “successful / unsuccessful / failed” language is rejected as inaccurate because it frames death as the goal.
The sources differ in scope rather than direction. NCDJ and APA stay close to a word-substitution table. The Diversity Style Guide, GCJT, and NLGJA extend into reporting practice: suicide-contagion risk, headline and method-detail cautions, avoiding single-cause attribution, and pointing readers to mental-health resources. NLGJA adds guidance for its own readership: when covering LGBTQ+ communities, locate disproportionate risk in minority stress and systemic inequity rather than individual blame. For a communicator the rule is narrow and well-supported: keep the noun, correct the verb, and, if you are writing reportage rather than a single sentence, follow the contagion-aware coverage cautions the trauma-focused guides describe.
History note
Several of the guides ground their guidance in a specific arc: “committed suicide” entered usage when suicide was treated as a crime, and the verb retained that criminal connotation after the laws were repealed. NCDJ and GCJT both cite this legal history as the reason to prefer “died by suicide,” framing the shift as moving the language away from a criminal-act register and toward a public-health one.