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
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“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs.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.
The Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage in northern Spain, has a way of making things seem normal that, elsewhere, might make a reasonable person wonder if you’re OK.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
But in my 2026 book, “Strikingly Similar,” I explore how, throughout the medieval period, the Renaissance and into the early modern era, an ethos of “imitatio” prevailed.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
The flames have got close to the site, which holds the remains of the first kings of the medieval kingdom of Aragon, but these as well as other artefacts have been removed as a precaution.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
At the center of the research are previously overlooked excerpts from a lost papal letter preserved in a medieval collection of canon law in the Vatican.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
They were like medieval kings and queens in their moated castles, wanting to lift the drawbridge and shut out every possible threat.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
