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Synonyms

medieval

American  
[mee-dee-ee-vuhl, med-ee-, mid-ee-, mid-ee-vuhl] / ˌmi diˈi vəl, ˌmɛd i-, ˌmɪd i-, mɪdˈi vəl /
Or mediaeval

adjective

  1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or in the style of the Middle Ages.

    medieval architecture.

  2. Informal. extremely old-fashioned; primitive.

medieval British  
/ ˌmɛdɪˈiːvəl /

adjective

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

  2. informal old-fashioned; primitive

"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
medieval Cultural  

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

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“Medieval” is sometimes used as a term of disapproval for outdated ideas and customs.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

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

“The synagogue features a Mudéjar ceiling, a style of medieval Islamic architecture created by Muslims who lived in Spain,” Mari Luz explains.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

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.