medieval

or me·di·ae·val

[ mee-dee-ee-vuhl, med-ee-, mid-ee-, mid-ee-vuhl ]
See synonyms for medieval on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or in the style of the Middle Ages: medieval architecture.: Compare Middle Ages.

  2. Informal. extremely old-fashioned; primitive.

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Origin of medieval

1
1820–30; <New Latin medi(um) aev(um) the middle age + -al1. See medium, age

Other words from medieval

  • me·di·e·val·ly, adverb
  • an·ti·me·di·e·val, adjective
  • an·ti·me·di·e·val·ly, adverb
  • post·me·di·e·val, adjective
  • pseu·do·me·di·e·val, adjective
  • pseu·do·me·di·e·val·ly, adverb
  • qua·si-me·di·e·val, adjective
  • un·me·di·e·val, adjective

Words Nearby medieval

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use medieval in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for medieval

medieval

mediaeval

/ (ˌmɛdɪˈiːvəl) /


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

  2. informal old-fashioned; primitive

Origin of medieval

1
C19: from New Latin medium aevum the middle age. See medium, age

Derived forms of medieval

  • medievally or mediaevally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for medieval

medieval

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

Notes for medieval

“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs.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.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.