Meaning & use
intermenstrual
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounmedicaltechnical
Happening in the time between one menstrual period and the next.
Grammar: Placed before a noun: intermenstrual spotting, not 'the bleeding is intermenstrual'.
Patterns
- intermenstrual bleeding
- intermenstrual pain
She told her doctor about intermenstrual bleeding that had lasted two cycles.
Light intermenstrual spotting can be caused by hormonal changes.
The leaflet explains when intermenstrual pain needs medical attention.
Common combinations
- intermenstrual bleeding
- Intermenstrual bleeding should be checked by a doctor.
- intermenstrual spotting
- Intermenstrual spotting is common after starting a new pill.
- intermenstrual pain
- Some women feel intermenstrual pain around ovulation.
- intermenstrual period
- The intermenstrual period lasts from one bleed to the next.
Synonyms and how they differ
- between-period
- Between-period is an informal, everyday way to say the same thing, while intermenstrual is the clinical term used by doctors.
- midcycle
- Midcycle refers specifically to the middle of the cycle, whereas intermenstrual covers any time between periods.
Opposites
Word family
- menstrual adjective
- relating to the monthly period
- menstruation noun
- the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus
- menstruate verb
- to have a monthly period
- premenstrual adjective
- occurring before a period
Commonly confused: intermenstrual or premenstrual?
intermenstrual vs premenstrual
Premenstrual means in the days just before a period begins, whereas intermenstrual covers the whole gap between periods.
Practice
Bleeding that appears in the weeks between two periods is called ___ bleeding.
Choose one answer.
'Intermenstrual' means between periods. 'Premenstrual' refers to the days just before a period, and the other options do not describe the gap between periods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “intermenstrual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.