menstrual

English

Alternative forms

• menstruall (obsolete)
• menstral (nonstandard, possibly proscribed)

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.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛn.stɹu.əl/, /ˈmɛn.stɹəl/ (the latter pronunciation leading to the spelling menstral)

• Audio (US, short pronunciation):

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• Audio (US):

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• Hyphenation: men‧stru‧al

Adjective

menstrual (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to the menses.
   • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 96:

     Recent studies in physiology have noted that women who live in close proximity to one another - nurses in a hospital or coeds in a college dormitory - tend to have their menstrual periods at the same time.

2. (dated) Occurring once a month; monthly.
3. (dated) Lasting for a month.

   a menstrual flower

Synonyms

• catamenial
• mensal
• menstruous

Derived terms

• menstrual cramp
• menstrual cup
• menstrual cycle
• menstrual fluid
• menstrual pad
• menstrual period
• menstrual sponge
• menstrual synchrony

Related terms

• menstruation
• menstruous
• menstruum

Translations

of or having to do with the menses

• Catalan: menstrual (ca)
• Czech: menstruační (cs)
• French: menstruel (fr)
• Galician: menstrual
• German: menstrual, menstruell, Menstruations-
• Greek: εμμηνορροϊκός (el) (emminorroïkós)
• Hebrew: וִסְתִּי (vistí)
• Irish: míosta
• Italian: mestruale (it)
• Polish: miesiączkowy (pl)
• Portuguese: menstrual (pt)
• Russian: менструа́льный (ru) (menstruálʹnyj), ме́сячный (ru) (mésjačnyj) (euphemistic, "monthly")
• Spanish: menstrual (es)

occurring once a month

• French: mensuel (fr)
• German: monatlich (de)
• Greek: έμμηνος (el) (émminos), καταμήνιος (el) (katamínios)
• Italian: mensile (it)
• Russian: ме́сячный (ru) (mésjačnyj)
• Spanish: mensual (es)

lasting for a month

• Greek: μηνιαίος (el) m (miniaíos)
• Italian: mensile (it)
• Russian: ме́сячный (ru) (mésjačnyj)

Noun

menstrual (plural menstruals)

1. (colloquial) A menstrual period.
   • 2012, Miryom Willis, Shirley Fisher, Trials, Tragedy, Triumphs, page 11:

     “All that drama for what” I thought. All she had to do was tell me that I was having my menstrual. So much for band aids.

Anagrams

• Ulsterman, must-learn

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mēnstruālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [məns.tɾuˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [mens.tɾuˈal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: mens‧tru‧al

Adjective

menstrual m or f (masculine and feminine plural menstruals)

1. menstrual

Related terms

• menstru
• menstruació
• menstruar

Further reading

• “menstrual”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “menstrual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “menstrual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “menstrual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin mēnstruālis. By surface analysis, mênstruo +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mẽs.tɾuˈaw/ [mẽs.tɾʊˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /mẽsˈtɾwaw/ [mẽsˈtɾwaʊ̯]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mẽs.tɾuˈaw/ [mẽs.tɾʊˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /mẽsˈtɾwaw/ [mẽsˈtɾwaʊ̯]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /mẽʃ.tɾuˈaw/ [mẽʃ.tɾʊˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /mẽʃˈtɾwaw/ [mẽʃˈtɾwaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mẽʃ.tɾuˈal/ [mẽʃ.tɾuˈaɫ], (faster pronunciation) /mẽʃˈtɾwal/ [mẽʃˈtɾwaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mẽʃ.tɾuˈal/ [mẽʃ.tɾuˈaɫ], (faster pronunciation) /mẽʃˈtɾwal/ [mẽʃˈtɾwaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /mẽʃ.tɾuˈa.li/, (faster pronunciation) /mẽʃˈtɾwa.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: mens‧tru‧al

Adjective

menstrual m or f (plural menstruais)

1. menstrual (relating to menstruation)

Related terms

• mês
• menstruar

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin menstrualis.

Adjective

menstrual m or n (feminine singular menstruală, masculine plural menstruali, feminine and neuter plural menstruale)

1. menstrual

Declension

Declension of menstrual

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	menstrual		menstruală		menstruali	menstruale
	definite	menstrualul		menstruala		menstrualii	menstrualele
genitive- dative	indefinite	menstrual		menstruale		menstruali	menstruale
	definite	menstrualului		menstrualei		menstrualilor	menstrualelor

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin mēnstruālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mensˈtɾwal/ [mẽnsˈt̪ɾwal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: mens‧trual

Adjective

menstrual m or f (masculine and feminine plural menstruales)

1. menstrual (relating to menstruation)

Derived terms

• copa menstrual

Related terms

• menstruación
• menstruar
• menstruo

Further reading

• “menstrual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10