This article examines the concept of imminent suicide. A search of National Electronic Library for Mental Health, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, OVID, & MD Consult databases was conducted using the terms Òsuicide, imminent.Ó The term ÒimminentÓ frequently appears in the mental health literature, finding common usage among clinicians. Managed care admission protocols may contain imminence criteria for patients at risk for suicide before approving insurance benefits, yet no suicide risk factors exist for the short-term prediction of suicide. (29 refs)