medieval

adjective me·di·e·val \ ˌmē-ˈdē-vəl , mi- , ˌme- , -dē-ˈē-vəl \

variants: or less commonly mediaeval

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of medieval

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Middle Ages

medieval history

medieval architecture

2 : having a quality (such as cruelty) associated with the Middle Ages

3 : extremely outmoded or antiquated

has medieval ideas about the role of women in our society

—

medievally

adverb

See medieval defined for English-language learners

See medieval defined for kids

Examples of medieval in a Sentence

They're using a computer system that seems positively medieval by today's standards.
get rid of that medieval kerosene stove—it stinks and it's dangerous

Recent Examples of medieval from the Web

There's an old medieval poem that says where true love is found, God himself is there.

— cnn staff, CNN, "Bishop Michael Curry's sermon -- the full text," 19 May 2018
In a medieval chapel at Windsor Castle that 39 English kings and queens have called home since 1066, Harry and Meghan exchanged vows watched up close by royals and celebrities, and from afar by a global TV audience of many millions.

— Anchorage Daily News, "In a union of tradition and modernity, Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry," 19 May 2018
The practice dates back to the medieval times, when tradespeople clamored to earn the royal seal of approval as a way of signaling to the public that their goods and services were — literally — fit for a king or queen.

— refinery29.com, "These Beauty Products Have The Official Royal Seal Of Approval," 18 May 2018
There, Dresher plucks and pounds the strings on the Hurdy Grande, his custom-made, 8-foot riff on the medieval hurdy-gurdy.

— claudia bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Jenkins and collaborators immerse the audience in ‘Toward 45’," 18 May 2018
Questions about taste notwithstanding, fruitcakes have been a British royal tradition since the medieval period.

— kate keller, Smithsonian, "Why This Year’s Royal Wedding Cake Won’t Be a Disgusting Fruitcake," 17 May 2018
Since the 1990s Chinese have been drawn to Prato not by its medieval architecture but by the same forces that in the 1960s and 1970s brought poor migrants from southern Italy: demand for labour in the city’s factories.

— The Economist, "Tuscan whineLong-term Chinese immigrants in Italy," 17 May 2018
As a sound like a dragon’s roar emerged from the fog, the valley ahead of us remained unlit, its dense, medieval haze instead rippling with the sound of rocket engines.

— geoff manaugh, The Atlantic, "Los Angeles, America’s Future Spaceport," 17 May 2018
Tampa Bay will be their toughest opponent of the postseason, but the Knights will continue with their medieval sorcery.

— the si staff, SI.com, "Conference Final Predictions: Who's the New Favorite to Win the Stanley Cup?," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'medieval.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

With its roots medi-, meaning "middle", and ev-, meaning "age", medieval literally means "of the Middle Ages". In this case, middle means "between the Roman empire and the Renaissance"—that is, after the fall of the great Roman state and before the "rebirth" of culture that we call the Renaissance. This same period used to be called the "Dark Ages", since it was believed that in these years civilization all but vanished. And indeed, for most Europeans in these centuries, it was a time of poverty, famine, plague, and superstition, rather than the age of magic, dazzling swordplay, towering castles, and knights in splendid armor displayed in today's graphic novels and video games.

Origin and Etymology of medieval

New Latin medium aevum Middle Ages

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1817

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, fief, historiography, paladin

medieval

noun

variants: or less commonly mediaeval

Definition of medieval

: a person of the Middle Ages

Recent Examples of medieval from the Web

The invite promises a weekend of bloodsports, but what Greer and the other invitees don't know is that the Medievals just might be hunting, shooting and fishing them over the next three days.

— borys kit, The Hollywood Reporter, "Fox 2000, Chernin Entertainment Pick Up Buzzy YA Novel 'S.T.A.G.S.' (Exclusive)," 8 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of medieval

see ¹medieval

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1856

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, fief, historiography, paladin

MEDIEVAL Defined for English Language Learners

medieval

adjective

Definition of medieval for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the Middle Ages : of or relating to the period of European history from about A.D. 500 to about 1500
: very old : too old to be useful or acceptable

MEDIEVAL Defined for Kids

medieval

adjective me·di·eval

variants: also mediaeval \ˌmē-dē-ˈē-vəl, ˌme-\

Definition of medieval for Students

: of or relating to the Middle Ages

medieval castles

medieval French

Learn More about medieval

See words that rhyme with medieval Spanish Central: Translation of medieval Nglish: Translation of medieval for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of medieval for Arabic speakers

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medieval

Definition of medieval

medievally

Examples of medieval in a Sentence

Recent Examples of medieval from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of medieval

Other History Terms

medieval

Definition of medieval

Recent Examples of medieval from the Web

Origin and Etymology of medieval

Other History Terms

MEDIEVAL Defined for English Language Learners

medieval

Definition of medieval for English Language Learners

MEDIEVAL Defined for Kids

medieval

Definition of medieval for Students

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