The Ideal Way to Describe Death in Your Scientific and Medical Writing

People who work in science and medicine use specialized language to communicate. This technical language is intended for a particular group of people who are engaged in a specific activity. However, for people who are not in that group or do not regularly engage in that activity, this language is confusing. This confusion indicates when technical language crosses the line into jargon. And jargon can be considered obscure, complex, unnecessary, and even pretentious.

Scientific and medical writers often rely on technical terminology to communicate. But sometimes they use words that are vague, confusing, or depersonalizing—deviating from the number one principle of making the reader’s job easy. For example, authors may use a mild or indirect word instead of one they might consider too harsh or direct when referring to something unpleasant. This substitution is called a euphemism.

When I review scientific and medical writing, I notice that authors tend to use euphemisms when discussing death. In scientific writing, authors use the term sacrifice when referring to humanely killing animals. And in medical writing, I notice terms such as expired, passed away, or succumbed.

Although these terms may be preferred in social situations (eg, “They passed away” or “Mice were sacrificed”), direct language is preferred in the sciences.

Example 1

Avoid: The mice were sacrificed for analysis.

Preferred: The mice were euthanized* for analysis.

Preferred: The mice were humanely killed for analysis.

Preferred: The mice were killed for analysis.

Example 2

Avoid: The patient succumbed to lung cancer.

Preferred: The patient died of lung cancer.

Example 3

Avoid: We found that 22% of patients expired.

Preferred: We found that 22% of patients died.

Example 4

Avoid: After 4 months of treatment, the woman passed away.

Preferred: After 4 months of treatment, the woman died.

*The word euthanasia is derived from Greek. Eu means “good” and thanatos means “death.” Put together, they mean “good death.” Euthanasia is defined as the hastening of death to prevent further suffering. In animal research, euthanasia can be used to emphasize that animals were killed humanely.