progestin

noun

pro·​ges·​tin prō-ˈje-stən 

: progestogen

especially : a synthetic progesterone (such as levonorgestrel)

Examples of progestin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Estrogen and progestin can help regulate periods, reduce excessive hair growth, and improve acne.11 4. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2025

Hormone therapy’s rocky history Hormone therapy using estrogen alone or a combination of estrogen and progestin, a synthetic derivative of progesterone, restores estrogen levels and effectively treats menopausal symptoms. —Matthew Nudy, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025

Birth control pills: Daily oral contraceptives contain a combination of estrogen and progestin or just progestin. —Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 14 Jan. 2025

Postmenopausal women may find relief through HRT with estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin, which can help ease menopause symptoms that contribute to low libido. —Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

progest(ational) + -in entry 1, originally as a name for progesterone

Note: The name was introduced by the American gynecologist and biochemist Willard M. Allen (1904-93) in "Physiology of the Corpus Luteum V. The Preparation and Some Chemical Properties of Progestin, a Hormone of the Corpus Luteum which Produces Progestational Proliferation," Amerian Journal of Physiology, vol. 92, issue 1 (February, 1930), pp. 174-88.

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for progestin

• clandestine
• intestine

Medical Definition

progestin

noun

pro·​ges·​tin prō-ˈjest-ən 

: progesterone

especially : a synthetic progesterone (as levonorgestrel)