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• felo-de-se
  felo-de-se

  noun

  a person who intentionally takes their own life, or commits an unlawful malicious act resulting in their own death.
• felo de se
  felo de se

  noun

  law

felo-de-se

American  

[fel-oh-di-see, -say] / ˈfɛl oʊ dɪˈsi, -ˈseɪ /

noun

• felones-de-se,
  plural
• felos-de-se
  plural

1. a person who intentionally takes their own life, or commits an unlawful malicious act resulting in their own death.

2. the act of suicide.

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felo de se British  

/ ˈfiːləʊ dɪ ˈsiː, ˈfɛləʊ- /

noun

1. law

   1. suicide

   2. a person who commits suicide

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• felones-de-se
  plural
• felos-de-se
  plural

Etymology

Origin of felo-de-se

First recorded in 1650–60; from Anglo-Latin, equivalent to felō “a felon” + dē “in respect to, of” + sē “oneself”; see origin at felon ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

felo-de-se felo de se

He was cut down before life was extinct, and on recovery was prosecuted for felo-de-se.

From Reminiscences of a South African Pioneer by W. C. (William Charles) Scully

The coroner's verdict being felo-de-se, the body was not taken into the chapel, but a clergyman met it at the gate and led the way to the grave.

From The Christian A Story by Sir Hall Caine

Further, a jury can seldom be induced to bring in a verdict of felo-de-se.

From Regeneration by Henry Rider Haggard

A full account of Wakley’s parliamentary ratting, or political felo-de-se; beautifully authenticated by his late Finsbury electors—with sundry cuts by his former friends.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, November 13, 1841 by Various

After such a piece of spiritual felo-de-se, the man is nothing but one wheel in a machine, or even but one cog upon a wheel.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 12, October, 1858 by Various

Formerly the goods and chattels, but not the land, of a felo de se were forfeited to the crown, but such forfeitures were abolished by the Forfeiture Act 1870.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

The coroner’s jury returned a verdict of felo de se.

From A Changed Man; and other tales by Thomas Hardy

A jury of Westminster tradesmen brought in a verdict of felo de se against Sellis.

From The Works of Lord Byron, Vol. 7. Poetry by Ernest Hartley Coleridge

The inquest on von Ruhle had taken place, with the anticipated result, a verdict of felo de se being returned by the jury.

From The Submarine Hunters A Story of the Naval Patrol Work in the Great War by Edward S. Hodgson

Is it not monstrous, then, that men could be found so lost to honor as to record a verdict of felo de se?

From Secret History of the Court of England, from the Accession of George the Third to the Death of George the Fourth, Volume I (of 2) Including, Among Other Important Matters, Full Particulars of the Mysterious Death of the Princess Charlotte by Lady Anne Hamilton