Meanings
- uncountableThe physiological stage that women approaching menopause go through when, due to hormonal changes, they progress from their usual pattern of menstruation through a phase of atypical menstruation, and finally cease menstruating. Perimenopause ends when a woman has not menstruated for a year.
Researchers at eight locations across the United States plan to examine the safety and effectiveness of estrogen therapy during perimenopause, the few years just prior to menopause.
2008 March 24, Robert Preidt, “Study to Assess Hormone Therapy Before Menopause”, in ABC News2 more examples
The scientific study of perimenopause has been going on for decades, and the cultural discussion of this mind and body shift has reached something of a new fever pitch, with several books on the subject coming out this spring and a gaggle of “femtech” companies vowing to disrupt perimenopause.
2021 April 29, Jessica Grose, “Why Is Perimenopause Still Such a Mystery?”, in The New York Times, →ISSNShe noted that it is also more common while women are nursing or during perimenopause, and that certain medications, including some forms of birth control, can decrease lubrication.
2023 October 15, Catherine Pearson, “8 Sex Myths That Experts Wish Would Go Away”, in The New York Times, →ISSNSynonyms: climacteric
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe physiological stage that women approaching menopause go through when, due to hormonal changes, they progress from their usual pattern of menstruation through a phase of atypical menstruation, and finally cease menstruating. Perimenopause ends when a woman has not menstruated for a year.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-
- Ancient Greekπερῐ́ (perĭ́)
- Englishperi-
- Proto-Indo-European*med-
- Proto-Indo-European*meh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*mḗh₁n̥s
- Proto-Hellenic*méns
- Ancient Greekμήν (mḗn)
- Frenchméno-
- Ancient Greekπαύω (paúō)
- Ancient Greekπαῦσις (paûsis)
- Latinpausa
- Frenchménopause
- Englishmenopause
- Englishperimenopause
From peri- (“near”) + menopause. The term has been in use since at least 1931, when it was used in Joseph Bolivar De Lee and Jacob Pearl Greenhill's book, Obstetrics: Gynecology.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 圍絕經期 /围绝经期
- 圍絕經期 /围绝经期 (wéijuéjīngqī)physiological stage menstruating women go through when approaching menopause
Finnish perimenopaussi, esivaihdevuodet
- perimenopaussiphysiological stage menstruating women go through when approaching menopause
- esivaihdevuodetphysiological stage menstruating women go through when approaching menopause
French périménopause
- périménopausephysiological stage menstruating women go through when approaching menopause
Polish perimenopauza
- perimenopauzaphysiological stage menstruating women go through when approaching menopause
Portuguese perimenopausa
- perimenopausaphysiological stage menstruating women go through when approaching menopause
Cite this entry
perimenopause. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perimenopause
“perimenopause.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perimenopause. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perimenopause,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perimenopause.
Source: perimenopause on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.