suicide watch: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical/Medical/Legal/Journalistic; Can be used informally in extended metaphorical senses.
Quick answer
What does “suicide watch” mean?
A system of special supervision for a person who is considered at high risk of attempting suicide, typically in a prison, hospital, or mental health facility.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A system of special supervision for a person who is considered at high risk of attempting suicide, typically in a prison, hospital, or mental health facility.
By metaphorical extension, can refer to any situation of intense, anxious observation of a person, group, or thing perceived to be in a state of imminent collapse, failure, or self-destruction (e.g., a failing company, a politician under immense pressure).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or definitional differences. Both use the term identically in institutional contexts. The metaphorical extension may be slightly more common in US media/journalism.
Connotations
Equally serious and somber in its primary institutional sense in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in relevant professional contexts (corrections, healthcare).
Grammar
How to Use “suicide watch” in a Sentence
[Subject: authority] place [Object: person] on suicide watch.[Subject: person] is/remains under suicide watch.[Subject: suicide watch] was lifted/ended.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “suicide watch” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The prison governor decided to suicide-watch the new inmate after the threatening letter was found.
- He's being suicide-watched in the healthcare unit.
American English
- The warden ordered the correctional officers to suicide-watch the detainee.
- The protocol states when to suicide-watch a patient.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard; no adverbial form in use.)
American English
- (Not standard; no adverbial form in use.)
adjective
British English
- The suicide-watch protocol was strictly enforced.
- He was in a suicide-watch cell.
American English
- The suicide-watch procedures were reviewed.
- A suicide-watch detail requires two officers.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorical: 'Investors have the company's stock on suicide watch after the disastrous earnings report.'
Academic
Used in criminology, psychology, and medical papers discussing inmate/patient safety protocols and risk management.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. If used, it's almost always in the metaphorical, hyperbolic sense among friends (e.g., 'Put me on suicide watch if I have to sit through another one of his lectures.').
Technical
Standard term in correctional facility logs, psychiatric nursing reports, and hospital policy documents.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “suicide watch”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “suicide watch”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “suicide watch”
- Using it to mean simply 'being very worried about someone' without the implication of imminent self-destructive action or institutional control.
- Confusing it with 'death watch'.
- Misspelling as 'suicidewatch' (as one word; it is typically two).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While strongly associated with corrections, it is a standard term in psychiatric hospitals, general hospital emergency departments, and any institutional setting where a person is deemed at acute risk of self-harm.
Its metaphorical use is often darkly humorous or hyperbolic (e.g., 'My inbox is on suicide watch after my holiday'). However, this should be used with extreme caution as the primary meaning is serious and sensitive.
'Suicide prevention' is the broad, overarching goal and field of study/programmes. 'Suicide watch' is a specific, immediate, and often restrictive intervention tactic used within a prevention strategy.
It is conventionally written as two separate words: 'suicide watch'. Some institutions may hyphenate it as a compound adjective (e.g., 'suicide-watch procedures').
A system of special supervision for a person who is considered at high risk of attempting suicide, typically in a prison, hospital, or mental health facility.
Suicide watch is usually technical/medical/legal/journalistic; can be used informally in extended metaphorical senses. in register.
Suicide watch: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsuː.ɪ.saɪd ˌwɒtʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsuː.ə.saɪd ˌwɑːtʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On suicide watch (metaphorical): 'The whole team was on suicide watch after the project crashed.'”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: WATCH as in 'to guard' or 'observe', not as in a timepiece. It's a watch *for* suicide (prevention).
Conceptual Metaphor
A PERSON AT RISK IS A PRISONER (under guard). / AN ORGANIZATION IN CRISIS IS A SUICIDAL PERSON.
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts is the term 'suicide watch' used in its primary, non-metaphorical sense?