medieval
Americanadjective
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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“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs.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
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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.
Indeed, history is filled with examples of this, from the medieval Black Death hitchhiking along the Silk Road to the “Russian flu” pandemic of the late 19th century that was accelerated by trains and steamships.
From Salon
The characters could be at school, or in a medieval castle, complete in period costumes.
From BBC
It’s a tribute to the medieval craftsmen who built Europe’s glorious cathedrals, but also a reminder that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
They then extracted and sequenced ancient DNA, comparing the genetic material from Bronze Age and medieval goats with hundreds of modern breeds from around the world.
From Science Daily
If you’re new to her work, here is where to start with Groff’s sprawling canon, which spans from steamy Florida swamps to medieval abbeys with a gift for the unexpected.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
