menopause

American  

[men-uh-pawz] / ˈmɛn əˌpɔz /

noun

Physiology.

1. the period of permanent cessation of menstruation, usually occurring between the ages of 45 and 55.

2. male menopause.

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menopause British  

/ ˈmɛnəʊˌpɔːz /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: change of life.  the period during which a woman's menstrual cycle ceases, normally occurring at an age of 45 to 50

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menopause Scientific  

/ mĕn′ə-pôz′ /

1. The time at which menstruation ceases, occurring usually between 45 and 55 years of age in humans.

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menopause Cultural  

1. The period in a woman's life when her menstrual cycles stop. Menopause typically occurs between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five.

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Other Word Forms

• menopausal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of menopause

From the French word ménopause, dating back to 1870–75. See meno-, pause

Example Sentences

One of Makary’s personal priorities within the FDA was expanding access to hormone therapy for cisgender men and women — particularly for women going through menopause and perimenopause.

From Salon • May 13, 2026

Through the wonders of social media, awareness about perimenopause and menopause is growing.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

John says at first the changes were attributed to the menopause, but in March 2023 he noticed his wife had become more irrational and did not react as expected when she had a car crash.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

At 35, I thought my strange symptoms had to be early menopause.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

He’d pioneered the use of estrogen for treating symptoms of menopause and made important early discoveries about endometriosis.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot