menopause: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Medical, clinical, formal, and increasingly common in everyday neutral conversation.
Quick answer
What does “menopause” mean?
The permanent cessation of menstruation and reproductive fertility in women, typically occurring in middle age.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The permanent cessation of menstruation and reproductive fertility in women, typically occurring in middle age.
The natural biological process, often lasting several years, during which a woman's ovaries gradually stop producing eggs and hormone levels decline; the transitional phase leading up to and following the final menstrual period, associated with various physical and psychological symptoms.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'menopause' as the standard term. 'The change (of life)' is a dated, informal euphemism used in both, but 'the change' might be slightly more prevalent in older AmE informal speech.
Connotations
Equally medical/biological in formal contexts. In everyday use, connotations are neutral to slightly clinical. The topic is less taboo than historically.
Frequency
Frequency is comparable. Increased public discourse has made the word common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “menopause” in a Sentence
to go through (the) menopauseto reach menopauseto experience menopauseto be in menopausethe onset of menopausesymptoms of menopauseVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “menopause” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Her mother menopaused quite early, in her late forties.
American English
- She is menopausing now and dealing with several symptoms.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverb form.
American English
- No standard adverb form.
adjective
British English
- She sought advice for menopausal hot flushes at the clinic.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Increasingly used in HR and workplace wellness contexts: 'The company introduced a menopause policy to support affected staff.'
Academic
Used in medical, biological, psychological, and sociological research: 'The study examined longitudinal health data post-menopause.'
Everyday
Common in personal health discussions: 'My sister is going through menopause and is managing the symptoms well.'
Technical
Precise medical definition: 'Menopause is confirmed after 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea in the absence of other pathological causes.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “menopause”
- Pronouncing it as /men.oʊˈpɔːz/ (stress on third syllable). Correct stress is on the first syllable: /ˈmen.ə.pɔːz/.
- Using 'menopause' to refer only to hot flushes; it is the name for the entire process/point in time.
- Confusing 'menopause' (the event) with 'perimenopause' (the years leading up to it).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Perimenopause' ('around menopause') refers to the transitional years leading up to the final period, when symptoms often begin. 'Menopause' is the specific point in time (12 months after the last period) and the subsequent life stage.
Not biologically. The informal term 'male menopause' or 'andropause' is sometimes used to describe an age-related decline in testosterone in men, but it is not equivalent to the definitive hormonal shift of female menopause.
It is the immediate onset of menopausal symptoms following the surgical removal of both ovaries (oophorectomy), which causes an abrupt drop in hormone levels, unlike the gradual transition of natural menopause.
Yes, it is commonly used to mean she is in the period of life during or after the menopausal transition, experiencing its effects. More technically, one is 'postmenopausal' after the final period.
The permanent cessation of menstruation and reproductive fertility in women, typically occurring in middle age.
Menopause is usually medical, clinical, formal, and increasingly common in everyday neutral conversation. in register.
Menopause: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmen.ə.pɔːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmen.ə.pɑːz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to hit the menopause (informal)”
- “on the other side of menopause”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MENstruation Pause. It's the permanent pause of the menstrual cycle.
Conceptual Metaphor
A LIFE STAGE/GATEWAY ('entering a new chapter'), A JOURNEY ('going through the change'), A BIOLOGICAL SHIFT ('hormonal transition').
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'menopause'?