premenstrual syndrome

noun

The physical and psychological malaise experienced by many women between ovulation and the onset of menstruation; premenstrual tension.

First used 1953

Meanings

nounpremenstrual syndrome (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe physical and psychological malaise experienced by many women between ovulation and the onset of menstruation; premenstrual tension.First known use 1953

    The thiazides and similar compounds have also been used in patients with edema associated with nephritis and …the premenstrual syndrome….

    1968, Diet Pill Industry: Hearings, Ninetieth Congress, Second Session, Pursuant to S. Res. 26 . Part 56, p. 702
    4 more examples

    In The Premenstrual Syndrome, Dr. Katherina Dalton summarizes many studies of behavior change that show a large portion of crimes (63 percent in an English study, 84 percent in a French) are not distributed evenly over time, but clustered in the premenstrual interval along with suicides, accidents, a decline in the quality of schoolwork, decline in intelligence test scores, visual acuity, and response speed.

    1969: Public Health Service publication no. 263, sect. 20, 1969

    Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) takes a lot of bashing in the media. It is true that many women become more aggressive during this period, though they are rarely out of control...Therefore, any PMS symptoms that are perceived as unstable are due to the fact that women act more like men during this phase than at any other time in their cycles.

    1998, Edain McCoy, Celtic Women's Spirituality

    The term "premenstrual syndrome" first emerged in 1953 when Dr. Katharina Dalton used it to describe the same symptoms delineated by Dr. Frank [who coined premenstrual tension in 1931].

    2006, Kristen Brown, Nietzsche And Embodiment: Discerning Bodies and Non-Dualism

    The physical symptoms of this premenstrual syndrome include bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness, abdominal discomfort, lethargy and headache whilst the psychological symptoms include anxiety, irritability, aggression and loss of control.

    2006, Geoffrey P Webb, Dietary Supplements And Functional Foods

    Synonyms: PMS, premenstrual stress, PMT, premenstrual tension

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe physical and psychological malaise experienced by many women between ovulation and the onset of menstruation; premenstrual tension.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna syndrome that occurs in many women from 2 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Coined by Katharina Dalton in 1953 to replace the earlier premenstrual tension, which she considered accidentally created the impression of focusing solely on PMS's mental aspects.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech premenstruační syndrom
  • premenstruační syndrommalaise experienced before menstruation
French syndrome prémenstruel
  • syndrome prémenstruelmalaise experienced before menstruation
Hebrew תסמונת קדם־וסתית
  • תסמונת קדם־וסתית (tismónet k'dam-vistít)malaise experienced before menstruation
Italian sindrome premestruale
  • sindrome premestrualemalaise experienced before menstruation
Polish zespół napięcia przedmiesiączkowego
  • zespół napięcia przedmiesiączkowegomalaise experienced before menstruation
Russian предменструа́льный синдро́м
  • предменструа́льный синдро́м (predmenstruálʹnyj sindróm)malaise experienced before menstruation
Spanish síndrome premenstrual
  • síndrome premenstrualmalaise experienced before menstruation
Cite this entry
APA

premenstrual syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premenstrual%20syndrome

MLA

“premenstrual syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premenstrual%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “premenstrual syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premenstrual%20syndrome.

Source: premenstrual syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.