medieval

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

variants: or less commonly mediaeval

Updated on: 12 Apr 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

Some of these jewel boxes were set upon platforms designed to look like books from a medieval library, and loose volumes (including, appropriately, Women in Love), were scattered about as props.

— laird borrelli-persson, Vogue, "See the Exquisite, One-of-a-Kind Jewels from Dolce & Gabbana’s Latest Alta Gioielleria Collection Here," 7 Apr. 2018
Much as medieval alchemists sought to transmute base metals into gold, Biver was now going to turn gold into a material more rugged, robust and hard-wearing than steel.

— nick foulkes, A-LIST, "All that Glitters: Hublot Magic Gold," 6 Apr. 2018
Earle gave the animated movie a magical, medieval look.

— richard chang, latimes.com, "Hilbert Museum stages five new exhibitions, and spotlights West Coast art," 6 Apr. 2018
Her bloodline runs through the Earl of Cambridge, in the 14th century, across medieval Muslim Spain, to Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.

— The Economist, "Muslims consider Queen Elizabeth’s ties to the Prophet Muhammad," 5 Apr. 2018
On a gray, late-winter day, a converted chapel in the Arsenal, the city’s medieval boatyard, hummed with 21st-century activity.

— marcello rossi, WIRED, "Will a Huge New Flood Barrier Save Venice?," 5 Apr. 2018
The racial tensions that have erupted across the U.S. are part of a wake-up call for action against prejudice that rise from a medieval notion that native peoples were more animal than human.

— jane wooldridge, miamiherald, "She takes photos in faraway places to reveal how close we all are | Miami Herald," 29 Mar. 2018
In the early days of the lie detector, G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown likened the device to an embodiment of medieval superstition: a mingling of hope and misunderstanding and magic.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "The Lie Detector in the Age of Alternative Facts," 29 Mar. 2018
Back in 2016 the Deep Purple co-founder, who's been concentrating since 1997 on the medieval sounds of Blackmore's Night with his wife Candice Night, formed a new incarnation of his band Rainbow.

— gary graff, Billboard, "Ritchie Blackmore Talks New Incarnation of Rainbow, Skipping Deep Purple's Rock Hall Induction," 28 Mar. 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

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

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