medieval

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

variants: or less commonly mediaeval

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Examples: medieval in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

For 10 days each June, a campground 30 miles north of downtown Kansas City is transformed from a grassy, lakeside patch of land into a sprawling pre-17th century re-creation of medieval times.

— conner mitchell, kansascity, "Meet the group that relives medieval times — but with perks like indoor plumbing," 16 June 2018
So holding off a bit before going medieval on Heitkamp makes good practical sense, particularly at this early juncture where voters probably aren’t that focused on Senate races anyway.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "North Dakota’s GOP Senate Candidate Complains That Trump Is Being Too Nice to a Democrat," 12 June 2018
Barbara's interests were rich in variety, with an affinity for travel, the discussion of current events, and a passionate interest in medieval literature and history.

— courant.com, "Barbara Snow DELANEY," 10 June 2018
The new Mystic Aromatic scent was inspired by the south of France and the medieval monks who lived there.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "Mugler’s New Perfume Was Inspired by Gardens and Monks," 8 June 2018
The action unfurls in a quaint medieval town square garlanded with flowers and armorial pennants, (modified for the Gala), where Harlequin woos Columbine, and in a Beaux Arts ballroom conservatory where the action continues in the second act.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "American Ballet Theatre Revives the Color and Comedy of Marius Petipa's Harlequinade," 24 May 2018
Cherven’s medieval town—perched on a buttress of rock high above the river and the modern village.

— henry wismayer, WSJ, "Undiscovered Europe: A Vacation Like No Other," 23 May 2018
The show tells the story of a young couple living in a medieval town that are engaged.

— emily sorensen, Pomerado News, "Southern California Ballet presents "Coppélia" April 21 and 22," 12 Apr. 2018
Detectives Havers and Lynley investigate the death of a deacon accused of a serious crime in a historic medieval town in England. 3.

— Houston Chronicle, "BEST-SELLERS: HARDCOVER BOOKS," 7 Apr. 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

Along the way, cyclists pedal past medieval walled villages like Montreuil and the 18th-century Chateau de Long.

— david farley, WSJ, "The Best Guides to Cycling Major Cities—Even Los Angeles," 10 May 2018
Starting May 13 and for at least the rest of the month, the medieval Bled Castle will host an exposition on bees and beekeeping in the area.

— jeanine barone, New York Times, "Fall in Love With Bees on an ‘Apitourism’ Trip to Slovenia," 9 May 2018
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