medieval

Or me·di·ae·val

[mee-dee-ee-vuhl, med-ee-, mid-ee-, mid-ee-vuhl]

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or in the style of the Middle Ages.

   medieval architecture.

2. Informal.,  extremely old-fashioned; primitive.

medieval

/ ˌmɛdɪˈiːvəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or in the style of the Middle Ages

2. informal,  old-fashioned; primitive

medieval

1. A descriptive term for people, objects, events, and institutions of the Middle Ages.

“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs. It may suggest inhuman practices, such as torture of prisoners. (See Inquisition.)

Other Word Forms

• medievally adverb
• antimedieval adjective
• antimedievally adverb
• postmedieval adjective
• pseudomedieval adjective
• pseudomedievally adverb
• quasi-medieval adjective
• unmedieval adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of medieval¹

1820–30; < New Latin medi ( um ) aev ( um ) the middle age + -al ¹. See medium, age

Word History and Origins

Origin of medieval¹

C19: from New Latin medium aevum the middle age. See _medium , _age

Example Sentences

She's even wholeheartedly thrown herself into a theme when the occasion requires it, once dressing up in medieval garb for a wedding at Bolton Castle.

From BBC

Its 58 scenes, 626 characters and 202 horses give a unique account of the medieval period in Normandy and England, revealing not just information about military traditions but also the precious details of daily life.

From BBC

In Umberto Eco’s novel “The Name of the Rose,” a medieval abbey’s library that houses the lost second book of Aristotle’s “Poetics” burns to the ground.

From Salon

In this ancient Tuscan city, Leonardo is awakened by his writerly ambitions, a swoony love for medieval Italian authors like Dante and an intellectual disdain for the 20th century.

From Los Angeles Times

It's a living tableau of architectural styles; from medieval to Baroque, from industrial to modern.

From BBC

Related Words

• Gothic 
• antique 
• archaic 
• feudal 
• primitive