endometriosis
noun
en·do·me·tri·osis
ˌen-dō-ˌmē-trē-ˈō-səs 
: the presence and growth of tissue similar to endometrium in places other than the uterus and especially in the pelvis and abdomen that often results in severe pain and infertility
Endometriosis is not malignant, but it mimics cancer in the way it spreads and attaches itself to other organs—most commonly the ovary, bladder, and bowel.—
Consumer Reports
Consumer ReportsEndometriosis is one of the leading causes of female infertility and causes great pain and life disruption.—Paul G. Donohue
Paul G. DonohueExamples of endometriosis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Studies have shown that women's health conditions receive significantly less research funding, with conditions like endometriosis receiving a fraction of the research investment compared to male-centric health issues.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Annual Blossom Ball that May — and Hewitt, who has been vocal about her endometriosis diagnosis, opened up to PEOPLE about his support.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Hormones are also a lifeline for women who have uncomfortable-to-debilitating conditions such as endometriosis and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, as well as a range of autoimmune disorders that have nothing to do with reproduction.
—Andréa Becker, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
The Early Signs That Don’t Always Feel Urgent One of the challenges with conditions like endometriosis and uterine fibroids is that symptoms typically don’t arrive all at once.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for endometriosis
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Annual Blossom Ball that May — and Hewitt, who has been vocal about her endometriosis diagnosis, opened up to PEOPLE about his support.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Hormones are also a lifeline for women who have uncomfortable-to-debilitating conditions such as endometriosis and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, as well as a range of autoimmune disorders that have nothing to do with reproduction.
—Andréa Becker, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
The Early Signs That Don’t Always Feel Urgent One of the challenges with conditions like endometriosis and uterine fibroids is that symptoms typically don’t arrive all at once.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for endometriosis
Cite this Entry
“Endometriosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endometriosis. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
endometriosis
noun
en·do·me·tri·osis
ˌen-dō-ˌmē-trē-ˈō-səs
plural endometrioses
-ˌsēz
: the presence and growth of tissue similar to endometrium in places other than the uterus and especially in the pelvis and abdomen and that often results in severe pain and infertility
The primary symptoms of endometriosis are pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, backache, dyschezia, dysuria, and infertility.—G. David Adamson, The Journal of the American Medical Association
G. David Adamson, The Journal of the American Medical AssociationAbout 40 percent of infertile women suffer from endometriosis.—Gigi Martino, Science News
see adenomyosis
Gigi Martino, Science NewsLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
