What does anovulation mean?
Anovulation is the medical term for the failure of the ovary to release an egg during a menstrual cycle. Ovulation normally occurs once per cycle under the influence of reproductive hormones; when it does not, cycles may become irregular, unusually light, heavy, or in some cases appear deceptively normal while remaining infertile. Anovulation may occur occasionally due to stress, illness, weight changes, or intense exercise, or persist as a chronic condition, most commonly caused by polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid disorders, elevated prolactin, or hypothalamic dysfunction. It is one of the leading treatable causes of infertility and is typically diagnosed through tracking of cycles, hormone testing, and ultrasound. Clinicians describe it using the related adjective 'anovulatory', and treatment ranges from lifestyle modification to medications such as letrozole or clomiphene that induce ovulation. Though technical, the word matters because it names a condition many people experience without realizing it.
nounThe absence or failure of ovulation — the release of an egg from the ovary — during the menstrual cycle.
- The failure of the ovary to release an oocyte during a menstrual cycle, whether occasional or chronic.
"The patient's irregular cycles were traced to chronic anovulation."
"Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most frequent cause of chronic anovulation in women of reproductive age."
"After three months of anovulation, her physician recommended hormonal evaluation."
Rarely pluralized in practice; clinicians more often speak of repeated 'anovulatory cycles' than of multiple 'anovulations'.
"Her records noted recurrent episodes of anovulation across several months."
You can have regular-looking periods and still not be ovulating at all — anovulation is one of the most common hidden causes of infertility.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anovulation
Anovulation derives from the Greek-derived prefix 'a-' meaning 'without' combined with 'ovulation', which traces to Latin 'ovulum', a diminutive of 'ovum' meaning 'egg'. The term entered English medical vocabulary alongside the broader study of reproductive physiology, becoming established as scientific understanding of the ovarian cycle developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It shares its root with words such as 'ovary', 'ovum', and 'oviparous', all ultimately descended from the Latin term for egg.
Related word forms
How anovulation is actually used
Strictly a medical term used in gynecology, endocrinology, and fertility contexts; rarely encountered in everyday conversation. It carries no emotional connotation itself but is often discussed in relation to infertility, which can make it sensitive in personal contexts.
Easily confused with anovulation
Amenorrhea is the complete absence of menstruation, whereas anovulation is the absence of egg release; a woman may still bleed without ovulating.