premenopausal

adjective

pre·​men·​o·​paus·​al ˌprē-ˌme-nə-ˈpȯ-zəl How to pronounce premenopausal (audio)
-ˌmē-
variants or less commonly pre-menopausal
: of, relating to, or being in the period preceding menopause
premenopausal women

Examples of premenopausal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The perimenopause group was also 76% more likely to have a low cholesterol score and 83% more likely to have a low blood sugar score than premenopausal women. Cathy Nelson, Health, 26 May 2026 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) notes that up to 72% of premenopausal women report difficulty experiencing orgasm. Sarah Sinclair, Forbes.com, 8 Mar. 2026 One analysis of a US health survey found postmenopausal women were around 57 percent more likely to report sleep apnea symptoms than premenopausal women, even after adjusting for body weight. Anna McKie, Wired News, 6 Mar. 2026 It had previously only been approved for premenopausal women. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 30 Dec. 2025 Spotting Lobular Breast Cancer Lobular breast cancer is also linked with dense breast tissue—a common feature among younger, premenopausal women. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 In a randomized clinical trial of premenopausal women prone to recurrent UTIs, those who increased their water intake by about 1.5 liters daily experienced 1.7 infections over a year, compared with 3.2 in the control group — a nearly 50% reduction. Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of premenopausal was in 1915

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Cite this Entry

“Premenopausal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premenopausal. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

Medical Definition

premenopausal

adjective
pre·​meno·​paus·​al -ˌmen-ə-ˈpȯ-zəl, -ˌmēn- How to pronounce premenopausal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being in the period preceding menopause and especially the perimenopausal period
premenopausal women
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