medieval
Americanadjective
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of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or in the style of the Middle Ages.
medieval architecture.
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Informal. extremely old-fashioned; primitive.
adjective
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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“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs.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
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:
Explanation
Use the adjective medieval to describe something from the Middle Ages, or something so backwards that it might as well be from the Middle Ages. A teacher once rapped your knuckles with a ruler as punishment? That’s practically medieval! Medieval can also have positive connotations, since the Middle Ages are remembered as a time of knights and courtly love, when chivalry and honor were highly valued. If a guy doesn’t mind getting his feet wet lifting his girlfriend over a big puddle, that’s medieval in a nice way. However, if he then dies of the bubonic plague, that’s medieval in a less nice way.
Vocabulary lists containing medieval
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Fish in a Tree
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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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.
At either end of the room: a large cast-stone fireplace and a hand-painted opera balcony — the latter, a Neff riff on medieval churches, along with those columns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Viewing an early medieval embroidery close up is quite something.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Cecile Blot, owner of travel agency Boundless Travels, is pushing clients to consider places like Slovenia, for its mountain views and medieval towns, and northern Croatia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The medieval Bayeux Tapestry began a hugely complicated journey on Thursday that will see it leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
“That's a good point. I thought you were going to say medieval times or something because you like all those fantasy games, but you're right—they would've arrested you for heresy or something.”
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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.
