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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.
Synonyms of medieval
Adjective
Examples of medieval in a Sentence
Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
There were growing complaints that the infrastructure and staffing of the crumbling medieval structure haven’t kept pace with the crowds pouring through its galleries.
—Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026
The result is a sense of medieval-meets-millennial nostalgia—cozy, a little chaotic, and oddly comforting.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 27 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Medieval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medieval. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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