climacteric

/klʌɪmakˈtɛɹɪk/

climacteric adjective: pertaining to any of several supposedly critical years of a person's life.

Adjective

climacteric (comparative more climacteric, superlative most climacteric)

Pertaining to any of several supposedly critical years of a person's life.
- Closely parallel to the belief in unlucky days was the notion of climacteric years, those periodic dates in a man's life which were potential turning-points in his health and fortune.1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 596
- Asari pass through three climacteric life stages, marked by biochemical and physiological changes. The Maiden stage begins at birth and is marked by the drive to explore and experience. Most young asari are curious and restless. The Matron stage of life begins around the age of 350, though it can...2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Asari: Biology Codex entry
Critical or crucial; decisive.
- The seeds of a climateric insurrection against the hypocrisy of cultural norms.1991 May 4, Mary Dowd, “Risky Business”, in Gay Community News, page 7
Relating to a period of physiological change during middle age; especially, menopausal.
Climactic.
(of fruit) That continues to ripen after being harvested.

climacteric (plural climacterics)

A critical stage or decisive point; a turning point.
- It is your lot, as it was mine, to live during one of the grand climacterics of the world.1829, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […]...
- Sketch of Connecticut, Forty Years Since, p. 66-67.
  [H]e was in his grand climacterick, with a florid brow, and a step like youthful agility. Sigourney, Lydia.
A period in human life in which some great change is supposed to take place, calculated in different ways by different authorities (often identified as every seventh or ninth year).
The period of life that leads up to and follows the end of menstruation in women; the menopause.
- Once women have traversed the turmoil of the climacteric years and reached the hormonal steady-state of the post-menopause, there is almost certainly no increase in the incidence of depression.1998, Roger N J Smith, John W. W. Studd, The Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy, page 8

ஆண்களுக்கு பாலுணர்வு நிற்கும் காலம், பருவமுடிவு, பால் பருவ உதிர்வு, பால் பருவ முடிவு

জীবনের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ পরিবর্তনের পর্যায়

From Latin clīmactēricus, from Koine Greek κλιμακτηρικός (klimaktērikós), from κλιμακτήρ (klimaktḗr, “scale, progression, gradation”).

What does climacteric mean?: Climacteric means pertaining to any of several supposedly critical years of a person's life.
What is climacteric in Tamil?: Climacteric in Tamil is ஆண்களுக்கு பாலுணர்வு நிற்கும் காலம், பருவமுடிவு, பால் பருவ உதிர்வு. See Climacteric meaning in Tamil.
What part of speech is climacteric?: Climacteric can be an adjective or a noun.
How do you pronounce climacteric?: Climacteric is pronounced /klʌɪmakˈtɛɹɪk/.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-climacteric.wav.

Cite this entry: “climacteric.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/climacteric. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.