1
2
a
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in northern France and spreading through western Europe from the middle of the 12th century to the early 16th century that is characterized by the converging of weights and strains at isolated points upon slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by pointed arches and vaulting
Gothic cathedrals
b
: of or relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic
3
often not capitalized
: of or relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents
Gothic novels
1
a
b
2
: Gothic art style or decoration
specifically
: the Gothic architectural style
3
: the East Germanic language of the Goths see Indo-European Languages Table
4
often not capitalized
: a novel, film, or play in the gothic style
Examples of Gothic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Purvis makes a clever but careful case for combining the Gothic with the paranormal.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
The Gothic spires of the Salt Lake Temple still stand out against the cluster of modern office buildings that make up the skyline, but the temple has been closed for renovations since December 2019.
—Carley Thornell, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025
But its most crowd-pleasing structure may be its Gothic law school library, whose gorgeous reading room looks like something from a Harry Potter set.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for Gothic
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Noun
Girona Cathedral is truly impressive, with the widest Gothic nave in the world.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Purvis makes a clever but careful case for combining the Gothic with the paranormal.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
The Gothic spires of the Salt Lake Temple still stand out against the cluster of modern office buildings that make up the skyline, but the temple has been closed for renovations since December 2019.
—Carley Thornell, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025
But its most crowd-pleasing structure may be its Gothic law school library, whose gorgeous reading room looks like something from a Harry Potter set.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for Gothic
Cite this Entry
“Gothic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gothic. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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