progestin

noun

pro·​ges·​tin prō-ˈje-stən 

: progestogen

especially : a synthetic progesterone (such as levonorgestrel)

Examples of progestin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most birth-control pills prescribed in the U.S. are a combination of two hormones, estrogen and progestin. —Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 3 Dec. 2024

Hormonal IUDs release progestin to thicken cervical mucus, prevent ovulation, and thin the uterine lining. —Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024

On the other hand, hormonal IUDs, also called levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs (LNG-IUDs), are made of plastic and work by releasing levonorgestrel—a type of progestin, which is a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone—to prevent pregnancy. —Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 29 Oct. 2024

The ones that do exist, though, also suggest that IUDs containing progestin may elevate the risk of breast cancer. —Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

progest(ational) + -in entry 1, originally as a name for progesterone

Note: The name was introduced by the American gynecologist and biochemist Willard M. Allen (1904-93) in "Physiology of the Corpus Luteum V. The Preparation and Some Chemical Properties of Progestin, a Hormone of the Corpus Luteum which Produces Progestational Proliferation," Amerian Journal of Physiology, vol. 92, issue 1 (February, 1930), pp. 174-88.

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

progestin

noun

pro·​ges·​tin prō-ˈjest-ən 

: progesterone

especially : a synthetic progesterone (as levonorgestrel)