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

For those unfamiliar, castlecore is a sort of Romantic medievalism marked by sumptuous wealth—think windswept fens, lots of metalwork, richly colored fabrics, and stone keeps haunted by desperate lovers.

From Slate

It’s a kind of medievalism, in other words, that seems to have passed through a sieve of Jane Austen or Emily Brontë; now you can see it in the works of medieval-themed romantasy novels.

From Slate

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

From Slate

The medievalism that was first spotted by Architectural Digest in 2022, proliferated on Pinterest between 2022 and 2024, and is now pushing us into 2025 is a trend primarily by and for women.

From Slate

The medievalism of castlecore offers people, especially women, a way to critique this tech-bro futurism without directly engaging the politics of the moment, which not everyone wants to do, especially on social media.

From Slate