menstruation

noun

men·​stru·​a·​tion ˌmen(t)-strü-ˈwā-shən 

men-ˈstrā-

: a cyclical discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus that recurs in nonpregnant breeding-age primate females at approximately monthly intervals and that is considered to represent a readjustment of the uterus to the nonpregnant state following proliferative changes accompanying the preceding ovulation

also : period sense 6c

Synonyms of menstruation

• period

Examples of menstruation in a Sentence

a first menstruation can be somewhat scary for girls who are unprepared

Recent Examples on the Web

The luteal phase covers days 15 through 28, when progesterone dominates, appetite climbs, energy drops and PMS symptoms peak in the days before menstruation. —Allison Palmer june 8, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026

Current phase-specific guidance points to iron-rich foods during menstruation to replace losses, lighter liver-supporting foods in the follicular phase, anti-inflammatory foods in the luteal phase and magnesium and B6 in the late luteal phase for PMS support. —Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026

Once testing confirmed a viable path forward, Kenny had to reduce his testosterone dosage to a quarter of its usual amount and stop taking the blocker that had prevented both menstruation and pregnancy. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026

Iron Deficiency With menstruation, the body loses blood and iron, increasing the risk of iron deficiency. —Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for menstruation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

menstruation

noun

men·​stru·​a·​tion ˌmen(t)-strə-ˈwā-shən 

men-ˈstrā-shən

: a discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus at periods of approximately one month in female primates of breeding age that are not pregnant

also : period sense 3c

Medical Definition

menstruation

noun

men·​stru·​a·​tion ˌmen(t)-strə-ˈwā-shən, men-ˈstrā- 

: a discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus that recurs in nonpregnant human and other primate females of breeding age at approximately monthly intervals and that is considered to represent a readjustment of the uterus to the nonpregnant state following proliferative changes accompanying the preceding ovulation

also : period sense 1b