The author addresses the need for a standard nomenclature of suicide-related behaviour to be adopted across the field of suicidology. He proposes a three-component model of differentiating between various states of self-destructive thoughts & behaviours that relies on 8 different combinations of these components: intention, the act of self-destruction, & death. Directions for future research into this model are suggested, & possible disadvantages of this system of differentiation are identified. (5 refs)