medievalism

American  

[mee-dee-ee-vuh-liz-uhm, med-ee-, mid-ee-, mid-ee-vuh-] / ˌmi diˈi vəˌlɪz əm, ˌmɛd i-, ˌmɪd i-, mɪdˈi və- /

Or mediaevalism

noun

1. the spirit, practices, or methods of the Middle Ages.

2. devotion to or adoption of medieval ideals or practices.

3. a medieval belief, practice, or the like.

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medievalism British  

/ ˌmɛdɪˈiːvəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the beliefs, life, or style of the Middle Ages or devotion to those

2. a belief, custom, or point of style copied or surviving from the Middle Ages

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Other Word Forms

• antimediaevalism
  noun
• antimedievalism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of medievalism

First recorded in 1850–55; medieval + -ism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

medievalism

But this new kind of medievalism is everywhere, and it’s heavily gendered.

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025

One of the things that’s especially interesting about contemporary medievalism is that movies and TV shows will often film real medieval art or in real medieval locations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2022

From Wagner to “Game of Thrones” and back again, pop-cultural medievalism has a habit of leavening sublimity and solemnity with heavy doses of intended or inadvertent silliness.

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2021

But you’re saying that’s been happening with medievalism for a long time.

From Slate ● May 30, 2018

He feared to offend a nation of readers reveling in the medievalism of Scott and Byron.

From The Translations of Beowulf A Critical Bibliography by Tinker, Chauncey Brewster