amenorrhea

noun

amen·​or·​rhea ˌā-ˌme-nə-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce amenorrhea (audio)
ˌä-
: abnormal absence or suppression of menses
amenorrheic adjective

Examples of amenorrhea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Primary amenorrhea is when a girl reaches age 15 without getting a period, while secondary amenorrhea is the absence of at least three periods in a row for someone who's had them before. Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023 Calorie restriction can also cause gastrointestinal problems as well as amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2022 Another line of defense against athletic amenorrhea is to incorporate vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, vitamins A, B, C and E, and calcium. Cammy Garvelink, Outside Online, 23 Feb. 2021 Women runners who are suffering from iron deficiency might end up with athletic amenorrhea as well, which is the absence of menstruation and is typically due to low estrogen levels and not enough iron in the blood. Cammy Garvelink, Outside Online, 23 Feb. 2021 For women, the clearest sign that an eating disorder has grown severe is usually amenorrhea—a warning that a lack of fat has caused the body to stop producing estrogen. Nora Caplan-Bricker, Outside Online, 23 June 2017 Christina Yannetsos, 37, an ER physician in Denver and the co-founder of Colorado Fertility Advocates, was diagnosed with a condition called hypothalamic amenorrhea in her 20s which contributes to infertility. Natalie Gontcharova, refinery29.com, 3 Mar. 2021 Because qi helps the blood flow easily, stagnation can lead to delayed periods with clots and pain (dysmenorrhea) or periods that don’t come at all (amenorrhea). Jen Hubley Luckwaldt, Good Housekeeping, 28 Dec. 2017 If your period vanishes for three months or longer (this is known as amenorrhea), see your doctor for evaluation. Zahra Barnes, SELF, 8 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amenorrhea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from a- + Greek mēn month + New Latin -o- + -rrhea — more at moon

First Known Use

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amenorrhea was circa 1771

Dictionary Entries Near amenorrhea

Cite this Entry

“Amenorrhea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amenorrhea. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

amenorrhea

noun
amen·​or·​rhea
variants or chiefly British amenorrhoea
: abnormal absence or suppression of menstruation see primary amenorrhea, secondary amenorrhea
amenorrheic adjective
or chiefly British amenorrhoeic

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