medieval
Americanadjective
-
of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or in the style of the Middle Ages.
medieval architecture.
-
Informal. extremely old-fashioned; primitive.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or in the style of the Middle Ages
-
informal old-fashioned; primitive
Discover More
“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs.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
- antimedieval adjective
- antimedievally adverb
- medievally adverb
- postmedieval adjective
- pseudomedieval adjective
- pseudomedievally adverb
- quasi-medieval adjective
- unmedieval adjective
Etymology
Origin of medieval
1820–30; < New Latin medi ( um ) aev ( um ) the middle age + -al 1. See medium, age
Compare meaning
How does medieval compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To ordinary churchgoers, the God of medieval imagination appeared distant and inscrutable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Keyes worked on a previous project that explored medieval techniques to produce manuscripts.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Following his answer Monday, Mary Rambaran-Olm, an academic specializing in medieval literature, said "can someone introduce Zohran Mamdani to the writings by his dad on British imperialism?"
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
We first meet Sara Bareilles’ character while she’s in the middle of getting one, latched in somewhat medieval fashion to a mechanical vice that towers high over her head.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Before the Russian Revolution, about 80 percent of the population were peasants who worked in the fields like their medieval ancestors.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
