English Reference

Word

menstrual

Phoneticsmen·stru·al

US/ˈmɛnstɹəɫ/

UK/mˈɛnstɹuːəl/

Definition

adj. relating to the monthly cycle of a woman's body, especially the time when she has her period.

adj. relating to the menses or the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus.

Examples

“She tracks her menstrual cycle on a mobile app.”

“Many women experience physical discomfort or mood changes during the different phases of their menstrual cycle.”

“The government recently passed legislation to ensure that menstrual products are available for free in all public buildings and schools to combat period poverty.”

Examples

simple

“She tracks her menstrual cycle on a mobile app.”

contextual

“Many women experience physical discomfort or mood changes during the different phases of their menstrual cycle.”

complex

“The government recently passed legislation to ensure that menstrual products are available for free in all public buildings and schools to combat period poverty.”

Real-World Examples

“Women can sometimes forget about their own health – they’ve got children to think about, work to think about, they can’t get a convenient GP appointment, or fit it in with their menstrual cycle.”
The Guardian · 17 Aug 2026
“Breasts can naturally look and feel a bit different at different phases of your menstrual cycle, and change a bit as you age.”
BBC News · 12 Aug 2026
“We spoke to women, parents and experts about the changing conversation around menstrual health.”
BBC News · 16 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Middle English menstruall, from Latin mēnstruālis, from mēnstrua (“menses”), from neuter plural of mēnstruus (“of a month, monthly, of menstruation”), from mēnsis (“month”) + -ālis (“-al”); see moon.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Synonyms

period-related

Collocations

menstrual cyclemenstrual cycles

Word family

menstrualAdjectivemenstruationNoun

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/menstrual

English Reference