What does menarche mean?
Menarche is the medical term for the beginning of menstruation: the first menstrual period and the event marking its onset. It usually occurs during adolescence, although its timing varies among individuals and among historical periods and populations. Menarche is often treated as a milestone of puberty, alongside growth in height, changes in body shape, and the development of other signs of physical maturity. The first menstrual cycles are frequently irregular, so the timing of menarche does not by itself establish a stable monthly pattern. In medicine, public health, and historical research, age at menarche is used as an indicator of biological development and can also be studied in relation to nutrition, health, and socioeconomic conditions. In ordinary speech, the less formal expression "first period" is much more common, while "menarche" is especially likely to appear in educational, clinical, or analytical contexts.
nounThe onset of menstruation, meaning the first menstrual period and the stage at which it occurs.
- The first occurrence of menstruation in a person, and the developmental stage or event associated with it.
"Menarche typically occurs during early adolescence and is often discussed as a milestone in physical development."
"The physician asked about the patient's age at menarche during the assessment."
"Changes in height and body composition often occur around the time of menarche."
Menarche is often remembered as a major birthday, but the first menstrual cycles can be irregular and may not immediately follow a regular monthly pattern.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does menarche come from?
Menarche was formed in the late 19th century from Greek mēn, meaning "month," and archē, meaning "beginning." It therefore literally means "the beginning of the monthly cycle." The vocabulary of menstruation developed through a related Greco-Roman tradition: English menstrual, menses, menstruate, and menopause draw on Latin forms based on mensis, "month," ultimately from the same Indo-European vocabulary.
How menarche is actually used
This is a formal medical and educational term. In everyday conversation, people more often say "first period." It is also used figuratively or historically in discussions of the age at which menstruation begins, often in relation to health, nutrition, or population trends.