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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.
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Examples of medieval in a Sentence
James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024
She was featured in Antiques Roadshow’s Christmas special, filmed at Alexandra Gardens, about a 10-minute walk from Cardiff Castle — a medieval structure in Wales that was remodeled by Burges between 1865 and his death in 1881.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024
Tony Audsley General view of the medieval cemetery in Longwall Quad, under excavation, with Magdalen College library in the background.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2024
Who could have predicted that red pantyhose would evolve into a chic fashion statement, transcending medieval times and elf-like cosplay?
—Devine Blacksher, Essence, 12 Jan. 2024
The final dance is based on a poem by the medieval North Indian mystic Kabir about death freeing the soul from the confines of life.
—Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
The early medieval scribes responsible for producing the medical books of their age crafted powerful arguments about the respectability and piety of the doctor.
—Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
The story is, after all, a study in mind-blowing landscapes: frigid wastelands and forests beyond the Wall, the amply-treed Kingsroad, turquoise waters across the Narrow Sea, and the sunny medieval King's Landing, to name a few.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2023
The film’s aesthetic fuses the medieval and the futuristic, mirroring the comic’s mix of magic and science.
—Laura Zornosa, Time, 30 June 2023
As long as Mississippi’s social and economic conditions, especially for Black and Hispanic residents, remain mired just this side of medieval, then its isolated effort to improve reading scores will be doomed to failure, and its statistical gains will look not much better than window-dressing.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2023
But within the larger narrative arc of Empires and Barbarians this was logical, the Slavs were far closer to the relevant action in terms of time and space than the Scandinavians who ravaged early medieval rather than post-Roman societies (where the latter bleeds into the former is up for debate).
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2010
The region where Amandola can be found, Le Marche, decided this year to promote cicloturismo—cycling tourism (do yourself a favor: at some point, click this link and escape for 2-minute-48-seconds)—a green, low-impact, pedal-from-medieval-hilltown-to-hilltown message to attract tourists.
—Bernhard Warner, Fortune, 6 July 2020
The show has three sections — medieval, Asian and paleontology — and includes artifacts such as a full-sized Chinese dragon costume and hands-on activities such as a fossil dig.
—Dallas News, 28 Dec. 2022
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“Medieval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medieval. Accessed 31 Jan. 2024.
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medieval
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on medieval
Nglish: Translation of medieval for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of medieval for Arabic Speakers
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