medieval

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

variants: or less commonly mediaeval

|Updated on: 15 Aug 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

That drive is what brings us to the CW’s newest summer series, the fantastical The Outpost, a drama that borrows heavily from Thrones’ quasi-medieval fire and magic vibes.

— refinery29.com, "All The Best Post-Apocalyptic TV Shows You Can Watch," 11 July 2018
Luther denounced medieval Christian charges that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus and was a strong voice for nonviolent religious tolerance, Brown said.

— mark pratt, Fox News, "Martin Luther letter critical of Jews is up for auction," 10 July 2018
Oddities include a medieval-looking skullcap from the 19th century that measured the bumps on a person's head to determine intellectual traits.

— mitch stacy, chicagotribune.com, "Psychology museum explores what makes us human," 10 July 2018
Normally, the Czech Republic capital is known for medieval architecture, not motorcycles.

— rick barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Castles and bikes: Harley riders from around the world roll into Prague," 5 July 2018
While the former laundress was elbowing her way through the medieval patriarchy, a young man named Raymond of Campagno was similarly rising in the king’s estimation.

— anne thériault, Longreads, "Queens of Infamy: Joanna of Naples," 3 July 2018
The Pont Saint-Bénézet is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon, in southern France.

— Fortune, "5 Spectacular, New Ways to Experience the French Countryside," 28 June 2018
The cruises will depart from the medieval city of Nuremberg, Germany, and end in Vienna, where the annual Christmas markets will be open.

— rosemary mcclure, latimes.com, "Sail with cruise line owners on two Danube River cruises to Germany and Austria," 3 July 2018
What Mussolini did to the medieval city to make space for his grandiose triumphal Road of the Imperial Forums was a different kind of civil sack.

— greg woolf, WSJ, "‘Rome: A History in Seven Sackings’ Review: The City That Survived," 29 June 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

Candid, gossipy and occasionally imperiled by demons, Margery Kempe was a 15th-century mystic and the author of a terrific medieval tell-all.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "10 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 5 July 2018
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