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menstruation

American  
[men-stroo-ey-shuhn, -strey-] / ˌmɛn struˈeɪ ʃən, -ˈstreɪ- /

noun

  1. the periodic discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the uterus, occurring approximately monthly from puberty to menopause in nonpregnant women and females of other primate species.

  2. the period of menstruating.

menstruation British  
/ ˈmɛnstrʊəs, ˌmɛnstrʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

  1. Nontechnical name: period.  Also called: menses.  the approximately monthly discharge of blood and cellular debris from the uterus by nonpregnant women from puberty to the menopause

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
menstruation Scientific  
/ mĕn′stro̅o̅-ā′shən /

  1. The monthly flow of blood from the uterus beginning at puberty in girls and other female primates.

  2. Also called menses

  3. See also menstrual cycle

menstruation Cultural  

  1. The periodic discharge of the blood-enriched lining of the uterus through the vagina. Menstruation marks the end of one menstrual cycle and the beginning of another.

Other Word Forms

  • menstruous adjective

Etymology

Origin of menstruation

First recorded in 1770–80; menstruate + -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A humiliating incident in a pool surrounded by her repulsed classmates echoes an iconic scene from “Carrie,” with Ducournau crafting an analogy for traumatic adolescent rites of passage like menstruation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

From menstruation mishaps to a meditation on old age, and the challenges faced by Arab-Israelis in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, one Oscars category is nothing if not varied.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Early onset of menstruation, late menopause, or not having children also increase risk.

From Science Daily • Jan. 20, 2026

But late last year a friend alerted her to a Sweaty Betty ad for its femtech range of leak-resistant and maternity leggings with the tagline "Keeping you moving through menstruation, maternity and menopause".

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025

The only encouraging event was the reappearance of Masvita’s menstruation.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.