Meanings
- 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. 7024 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, 1969Premenstrual 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 SpiritualityThe 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-DualismThe 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 FoodsSynonyms: 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
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
premenstrual syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premenstrual%20syndrome
“premenstrual syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premenstrual%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.
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.