medieval

1 of 2

adjective

me·​di·​e·​val ˌmē-ˈdē-vəl 

mi-,

ˌme-,

-dē-ˈē-vəl 

variants or less commonly mediaeval

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

medieval

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly mediaeval

: a person of the Middle Ages

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.

Synonyms

Adjective

• antiquated
• archaic
• dated
• démodé
• demoded
• fossilized
• kaput
• kaputt
• moribund
• mossy
• moth-eaten
• neolithic
• Noachian
• obsolete
• out-of-date
• outdated
• outmoded
• outworn
• passé
• prehistoric
• prehistorical
• rusty
• Stone Age
• superannuated

Examples of medieval in a Sentence

Adjective

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 on the Web

Adjective

The hilltop town of Asolo has cobblestone streets and a medieval castle. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2024

Antibes is a breathtaking spot on the French Riviera with roots dating to antiquity, a medieval old town perched precipitously on a rocky outcrop jutting into the azure Mediterranean Sea. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024

Noun

The site is considered one of the oldest medieval to early modern cemeteries in the city. —Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024

On paper, the consort is the resident early music ensemble of the Folger Shakespeare Library, specializing in repertoire drawn from the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. —Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

New Latin medium aevum Middle Ages

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing medieval

• pre-medieval

Kids Definition

medieval

adjective

me·​di·​eval

variants also mediaeval

ˌmēd-ē-ˈē-vəl,

ˌmed-;

mē-ˈdē-vəl,

med-ˈē-

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Middle Ages